A Life Like No Other
by Mionefan
Summary: Harry, depressed after seeing his Godfather fall through the veil and then hearing the prophesy, meets an unusual 4th year Slytherin girl to teach her what she needs to pass her 4th y. Gradually, she brings him out of his depression and they become close
1. Chapter 1

**A Life Like No Other**

**Chapter 1: The Meeting**

**A/N:** The usual disclaimer, I don't own Harry Potter or JKR's characters. I make no money from this story. The plot is mine, however.

Ships: Harry Potter / Astoria Greengrass

Genera: Romance/Drama

* * *

Raining. It was one of those dreary days that seemed to drag all the happiness out of a person. Even the castle itself seemed cold and dank. Sixteen year old Harry, unaware that his life was abut to change dramatically, was wandering the corridors of Hogwarts. The messy haired boy was contemplating the year just past. The loss of his Godfather Sirius had affected him deeply and the rainy day did nothing to help the gloom that settled inside him. The summer holidays had been a lonely time for him and allowed Harry to sink even deeper into despair. This first few weeks back had seen a resumption of his angst over the stupid thing that he'd done when he'd led his friends into a trap in the Department of Mysteries at the end of their last school year.

Hermione was seriously hurt and he could never forgive himself for that. Ron, Neville, Luna and Ginny had likewise been hurt. He was determined to stay away from them this year; it would only get them killed if he let them stay close. It was for the best and he would carry on alone.

That he had not been watching where he was going, became apparent when he crashed into a girl, sending the girl and himself sprawling to the hard stone floor.

"Oof! Watch where you're going…!"

Astoria Greengrass was fourteen and had just started to fill out. A pretty Slytherin like her sister, Astoria had none of the 'Ice Princess' personality of her older sibling. Harry had never talked to her but that was about to change.

"Umm, sorry," he temporized. "I had things on my mind and wasn't paying attention." He helped her to her feet and stood waiting, wondering who this girl was.

"Thanks, Potter. I know the feeling. I don't think we've been properly introduced. I'm Astoria Greengrass and I already know who you are."

Harry blinked, trying to place the girl. Greengrass. Daphne's sister. Bowing gallantly, he chuckled. "It's nice to meet you Miss Greengrass. I can see the resemblance to your sister but your manners are much better."

Astoria chuckled at that. "Yes, Daphne does come across as a bit hard. She uses it to keep the idiots at a safe distance. She's not really as bad as she seems. It also helps to deflect unwanted attention from me as well."

Harry couldn't believe he was having a decent conversation with a girl, let alone with a Slytherin girl. A very pretty one at that. "Yes, I can understand that. Daphne must attract a lot of attention from the likes of Malfoy and Nott."

"Oh, those two idiots aren't the worst. Crabbe and Goyle are always pestering her and won't take no for an answer, even after she's hexed them time after time. I helped her solve that problem though," she giggled. "Both idiots get a bad rash whenever they approach her. Plus, they let embarrassing smells and sounds escape when they even get close to her."

Harry smiled. Was she related to the Weasley twins, he wondered? "Now that's just evil. Funny and deserved, but evil. Have they found out who hexed them yet?"

"No, they're too stupid to figure it out. At first they thought it was Daphne, but it happens even when her back is turned to them and she hasn't noticed them. Of course, everyone soon notices them and they run to the loo." A wide grin spread across her face at the remembered scenes that seemed to repeat the last two weeks.

The grin was contagious and Harry found himself grinning for the first time since the new school year started. "You're sure you're not a Weasley? This is something they would think up. The twins, Fred and George, that is."

She looked at him in mock horror. "Not 'The Dastardly Duo'! Those two are a menace. Pranks are fun, but those two… ergh!"

"They got you, didn't they?" His grin got wider.

Shamefacedly, she nodded. "Yeah, last year they set off dung bombs in the loo and I happened to be in the end farthest from the door. I thought I'd suffocate before I got out of there. Plus I hadn't finished…"

"Sorry about that. They're friends and associates of mine, but I'll admonish them when I see them again."

"I'd rather prank them back," she grumbled. Then she brightened. "Associates of yours?"

"Yeah, I invested in their shop, Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes."

An evil glint adorned her face as an idea popped into her mind. "You wouldn't mind a little pay back, would you?"

"Erm, well, that depends; what did you have in mind?"

"I'll let you know. I've got to go, I have Potions in a few minutes." And with that, she was gone, rushing off to the dungeons and Professor Slughorn's fourth year class.

Harry watched her disappear down the corridor, wondering what had just happened. She was cute, there was no denying that and even now he had to think hard what she looked like. Long black hair, almost down to her bum, a pixie face with a cute button nose and crystal blue eyes like her sister. Definitely a Greengrass, but so unlike her sister in her manner which was open and friendly. She was tall, almost the same height as him, at 5 and a half feet with a delightfully slim curvaceous body. Shaking his head, he remembered he too had a class to attend.

* * *

Days later, he spotted her again, hurrying off to another class, but she was with friends. Blinking his eyes, he wondered why he couldn't get her out of his mind. She'd brightened up his day and brought him out of the deep funk he'd been in since last summer. What was it about her?

Another week passed before he saw her again and then only briefly. She never seemed to be in the Great Hall and he wondered where she ate. She was beginning to intrigue him. A mystery to occupy his mind when he wasn't in class or studying. He'd tried to avoid Ron, Hermione and Neville, but they insisted that they were fine. The Department of Mysteries adventure was not his fault and they were sorry he lost his Godfather. Hermione had quickly healed and although the scar hadn't gone away, she wore it like a badge, reminding herself and him that life happened. Ron and Ginny were currently at Quidditch practice and Neville was in the library with Hermione. He'd seen Luna and she seemed her normal dreamy self, not blaming him in the least for the traumatic events of last year.

Oddly enough, Draco Malfoy seemed distracted this year and left him alone. Snape was the new DADA teacher and things had gone downhill in his favourite subject. Defense Against the Dark Arts was the one subject he excelled in, but Snape was determined to harass him at every opportunity. They were learning silent casting this year and although he could sometimes cast silently, Snape proved such a distraction with his constant belittling comments, that he had trouble concentrating enough to consistently get proper results. This annoyed the professor even more and provoked insults and worse from the man.

One incident nearly had him expelled when Snape matched him against Draco and Harry blew him through the wall, requiring the Slytherin's stay in the hospital wing for a week. Snape was livid and marched Harry straight to the Headmaster's office, demanding his expulsion for deliberately trying to kill a student.

A week later, Nott suffered the same injury and Harry received detention for a week.

A month passed and Harry's spirits had sunk to previous lows and his friends wondered how to cheer him up. Dumbledore had promised special training, but so far that had turned out to be boring looks into Tom Riddle's past. Harry pressed for more meaningful lessons, but the headmaster chided him that these lessons were important.

November turned into December and Christmas was approaching. He'd seen Astoria from afar several times, but never had a chance to talk to her. She seemed to be squired around by a Hufflepuff boy and Harry felt oddly jealous. Why, he couldn't quite fathom, since he'd only talked to her once, and that for less than ten minutes. Resignedly looking away, he continued on to class.

Hermione and Ron were loudly bickering about something until Neville interrupted and she followed him to the library. Absently he wondered what he had missed. Hermione and Neville seemed to be spending quite a lot of time together lately and he'd missed the closeness he'd had with his best friend. Hermione wasn't exactly avoiding him, but she wasn't around as often as in the past. Ron was currently carrying on with Lavender and Ginny had Dean wrapped around her little finger. Even Luna seemed to have found someone. Now he was really depressed. He had no one and had none to blame but himself. In truth, he'd only dated Cho Chang, and that had ended disastrously.

Christmas Day, found him alone in the Gryffindor common room after sleeping late. It was almost noon when he wandered down to the Great Hall for lunch. There was a scattering of students and the usual teachers. Looking over to the Slytherin table, he was surprised to see Astoria, sitting with her sister. Daphne and she were sharing a joke when her eyes swept the room and spotted Harry. Smiling wickedly, Astoria excused herself and made her way to the Gryffindor table. She promptly plopped herself down beside him and grinned. "Mr. Potter," she declared. "Happy Christmas!"

Harry was so shocked that he stuttered "H-happy Christmas to you too. I-I haven't seen you in the Great Hall since beginning of term."

"Oh, and you were looking for me?" she replied, scooting closer and smiling widely.

"Erm, um…" he continued lamely. "That is, yeah, um…" The heat rose in his face as he continued to flounder in the gaze of a pair of bright blue eyes, that seemed to hold him spellbound. Coughing slightly, he looked down, unable to match the gaze of those brilliant orbs. It was disconcerting, really. He felt like they were piercing his very soul, learning his innermost secrets.

She reached out a hand to his shoulder and he startled. Why did she have such an effect on him, he wondered.

"Harry," she said softly. "I won't bite. What's wrong? Why won't you look at me?"

Panicking now, he fought the strong urge to jump up and run but seemed unable to move as if someone had cast the Petrificus Totalus hex on him, or a permanent sticking charm. He finally forced his his head to raise only to meet those devastating eyes and found a slightly amused look on her face. She was captivating. How had he not seen her before? "Beautiful," he breathed in an almost whisper. "Too beautiful!" he mumbled and then realising what he'd just admitted, wrenched himself from his seat and fled the Great Hall at a run, amid incredulous looks from both Astoria and Daphne.

Perplexed, Astoria returned to sit beside her sister.

"What did you say to him?" Daphne demanded. "I've never seen him move so fast."

"That, dear sister, is something I'll have to think about. He's put a whole new meaning to the word 'skittish'."

"But what did you do?" she persisted.

Astoria shrugged her elegant shoulders and replied, "Nothing really, I just smiled and wished him a Happy Christmas. He wondered why he didn't see… No, that can't be… but then, why else?" She giggled. "I think Mr. Potter may have a tiny crush on me. I mean, why else would he look at me and bolt from the room," she snorted, unable to keep the laughter from her voice.

Raising a well trimmed brow, Daphne responded. "Really? Oh that's too rich. The Golden Boy has noticed you?"

Astoria huffed. "Is that so impossible to believe? I'm not a troll, I'll have you know! Actually, he's quite attractive. We ran into each other near the beginning of term and we got on well. Well, it was only for a few minutes, but he's not an idiot like the rest of the boys in Slytherin and that boorish Hufflepuff Wayne Hopkins that can't seem to keep his distance."

"Oh really." The eyebrow shot a little higher. "And what do you intend to do about it?"

"Well, I hadn't thought much about it. You know I've been busy every day, so I hardly see anyone in the Great Hall. I'm in early and out as fast as I can gobble down some food. Maybe I'll make some time though. Potter interests me. He is a Gryffindor though. That might be a tough nut to crack. I'd have thought Granger would have her hooks in him by now."

"Oh, you weren't paying attention. She's got the hots for Longbottom. They spend every available minute in the library, hidden in her favourite spot at the back near the Restricted Section. Potter has been wandering around like someone has kicked his puppy this year. My guess is he's either lonely or depressed, or both. I'd get close to Granger and find out what's bothering him. In fact, maybe I'll give you a head start and ask Granger myself. We have Runes together and DADA."

Astoria smiled at the generosity of her sister. "Would you really Daph? It's so hard to find out anything about anyone outside your own year. Beyond the basics, it's only rumour about Harry."

"Oh, suddenly it's 'Harry'. Well, that makes all the difference," Daphne smirked.

"Shut it you," Astoria admonished, lightly slapping her arm. "I'm just curious at this point. Maybe it won't even work out."

"Are you in Slytherin or not? You have your ways, and I'll help you."

* * *

Harry had finally stopped running and collapsed of all places near the Potions classroom in the dungeons. Wondering why his feet brought him here, he was startled when Professor Slughorn happened to open his door.

"Harry my boy. What brings you down here?"

"Um, hello Professor. I-I, Professor," he extemporized. "Professor Dumbledore asked me if you would show…"

Slughorn's manner changed in an instant. "Definitely not! I've told Albus all I can. He shouldn't send you to… well, he'll not get another word about Horcruxes… Blast! Forget it, you hear me? Meddlesome old fool," he mumbled this last.

"S-sorry Professor. It's just that Professor Dumbledore feels that it's really important to defeat Voldemort."

Slughorn blanched at the name and hissed. "Not another word, young Harry. You may have your mother's talent for potions, but my life is worth more to me than that. Run along now."

Unfortunately, Harry had to retrace his steps back past the Slytherin dormitory and in his depressed state, once again ran headlong into Astoria, sending them both on their arses again.

"Really, Potter," Daphne smirked. "My sister seems to be some kind of magnet to you. If you're so determined to 'bump' into her, at least kiss her and apologise."

"Daphne!" Astoria yelled, turning a bit pink. "Sorry, Harry, my sister has a way of making things awkward. What are you doing down here anyway? It's not even close to your dorm."

"I'm really sorry Astoria. I seem to have the worst luck… er, that is, oh hell, here, let me help you up." Harry's Gryffindor courage finally asserted itself.

He helped a smiling Astoria to her feet and she gave him a quick buss on his cheek. "Thanks Harry. What other 'bad luck' did you run into today?" She remembered the look Harry had when he ran from the Great Hall. In fact, he'd stared into her eyes a good five long seconds before he panicked and ran.

Harry blushed and Astoria noticed that a small smile crept onto his face. "Just ran into Professor Slughorn. I wanted to ask him something for Professor Dumbledore but he practically shouted at me to run along and not bother him."

"Oooh, Sluggy has secrets!" Daphne countered. "Well, if Dumbledore can't get them out of him, I reckon it's going to be challenging. Do you know what the good headmaster wants?"

"Well, not precisely, it's some tampered and obscured memory, but Slughorn mentioned Horcruxes. Any ideas?"

Astoria looked blank, but Daphne gasped in horror. "No! Don't tell me he's fooling around with those horrid things! That's disgusting! Potter, those things are the epitome of evil! Stay far far away from those."

"What are you doing anyway, Harry? Daphne, what are those things?" Astoria shivered at the tone her sister had taken.

"No Tori, you don't want to know! Just know that it's an evil that had best be forgotten."

Harry gave Daphne a curious look. "How do you know about that? I hadn't even heard about it until Slughorn mentioned it by accident."

Daphne shivered. "It's dark magic, Potter. The darkest. Our family library mentioned it in passing and warned of its evil. It's supposed to anchor a soul from passing on. In other words, making the person immortal. Don't even speak of this Tori, I mean it!"

"Voldemort!" Harry whispered. "He must have made one."

"NOOO!" she cried. "We're doomed if he has."

"But, but I think I've already killed one…"

Both girls gasped at this. "I think I'm going to be sick," Daphne gagged. "Not a word Tori!" And she ran off to the nearest loo.

Astoria looked at Harry, worry in her eyes. "H-how many do you think he made?" she whispered, afraid of the answer.

"Well, at least two and from the way Dumbledore's hand looks, probably at least three. If he was asking Slughorn, probably he suspects more."

Well, seven is a magical number," Astoria said fearfully, not wanting to admit the possibility.

Harry groaned. "We'll never find the rest if that's true. I've got to talk to Professor Dumbledore."

Daphne came back at that point, looking a bit pale. "Look Tori, forget about this. I know you and how you worry a problem to death, but this really could be your death. Harry, I don't want to know anything more and I'd hope you'd forget about it too."

Daphne hurried away, leaving a worried Astoria and a perplexed Harry Potter.

Harry looked at her quizzically, deciding weather to continue the conversation or not. Finally deciding to change the subject slightly in an effort to sidetrack an obviously curious Astoria, he motioned her to follow him. "Astoria, what do you think of Professor Slughorn?"

"That fat tub? Well, he's a good teacher, but I think he's a bit full of himself. He has his favourites and I suppose you're one. Honestly, Potions is a bit of a weak subject for me. Maybe you can find time to tutor me," she asked slyly. Now that she'd had a real conversation with the 'Boy-Who-Lived', she found him to be much more fascinating than she'd first imagined.

Harry noticed the sly smile that crept over her face when she brought that up. Deciding that he wouldn't mind teaching her, he readily agreed. "What free time do you have?" he asked. "I'll see if I can squeeze you in."

"Ooh, squeeze me in, Harry?" she flirted. "You can squeeze me any time."

Harry blushed, but quickly played along. "Erm, yeah, maybe more than squeeze. How is Saturdays? I don't have Quidditch this year."

Astoria thrilled at the idea. "Saturdays works for me, Harry," she squeaked. "Erm, what time?"

"Well, I'm usually a morning person on the weekends, so how about right after breakfast?"

"Great, I'll see you then. Um, where?"

"Meet me in the Great Hall and I'll show you," he replied.

She skipped away, humming softly to herself. "Harry's going to teach me, Harry's going to teach me. Maybe I'll teach him something too," she giggled.

"What did I just let myself be talked into?" he wondered.

...


	2. Chapter 2

**A Life Like No Other**

**Chapter 2: Helpmates**

**A/N:** The usual disclaimer, I don't own Harry Potter or JKR's characters. I make no money from this story. The plot is mine, however.

Ships: Harry Potter / Astoria Greengrass

Genera: Romance/Drama

* * *

Daphne had approached Hermione in Ancient Runes and was discussing rune theory, as they usually did in this class. In truth, Hermione liked the smart Slytherin and found a person that had similar interests in learning everything she could about magic. Of course Daphne had a bit of a head start, being raised a pureblood and having been home schooled, but Hermione was fiercely determined to be the best in anything she tried.

"Hermione, I'd like to ask you a question that I hope you wouldn't mind answering."

Hermione gave her a guarded look, wondering what she had on her mind. "Yes?"

"Since you seem to be the closest person to Harry Potter, I wonder if you could fill me in a bit on his background? Not the usual 'Boy-Who-Lived stuff, just a… I don't know, maybe what he's really like."

"Why? I mean, he's a very quiet person, I'm not sure he'd like me saying things about him."

Daphne knew she'd started off on the wrong foot and tried to correct it. "It's not for me, my sister Astoria has started seeing him a couple of weeks ago and is hesitant about asking him directly. He seems really shy unless someone irks him and then he comes down on them like a ton of bricks."

Hermione considered it a bit, wondering at the change she'd noticed on occasion. It was true that for the first half of this year he seemed depressed, but lately his usual cheerfulness had shone through. As if a ray of sunshine had entered his life.

"Yes, now I see. I wondered about him. These last couple of weeks has seen quite a change. When the school year started, he was deeply depressed over the loss of his godfather, but now, he seems to have pushed past that. So, Your sister Astoria has her hooks in him? That's very interesting. Harry's very slow to trust anyone but if Astoria has his attention, that's a good thing. Unfortunately, Harry and I haven't been getting along very well this year. He's insisting on using a Potions book that is suspect. My fault, I guess, or at least partially in that I consider it cheating to follow someone else's margin notes, when we don't know who wrote them. It's not just potion notes either; there are some dark spells in there. Anyway, Harry will eventually open up to her if she's able to gain his trust. He's had a very hard home life, but he refuses to talk about it. Even Ron doesn't know just how hard it is. He lives with his Muggle relatives.

"She could try to ask him about some of his adventures here, but he may be reluctant to tell her. I certainly won't. Suffice to say, the rumours have some basis but don't tell nearly the whole story, and some are outright lies. Most that is written about him is false. He has a life like none other, that is for certain. She might ask him about Headless Nick's Deathday party. That's always good for a chuckle."

"What about that whole 'Heir to Slytherin' thing? He does speak Parseltongue."

"No, he's not the heir, but you might get her to ask about the time he and Ron entered the Slytherin common room," she chuckled.

Daphne now had an inkling just how complex Harry must be. "Thanks Hermione, I'm sure Astoria will appreciate these tidbits."

Silence reigned for a bit as they concentrated on their classwork. Presently, Hermione asked, "Is she serious about Harry? I'd hate to have her break his heart on a schoolgirl crush or a whim."

"Oh, Tori's very serious. When she sets out to do something, she puts everything she has into it, and Harry definitely excites her. I've never seen her like this. She has this dreamy look about her and gets a bit glassy eyed at times. Oh, he definitely has her attention. Her grades and homework have improved quite a bit too. He's teaching her, you know."

"No, I didn't know," Hermione responded. "He disappears for hours on end, although I must admit that so do I… erm, with Neville, that is."

"Yes, I noticed you and Longbottom. Anything you'd like to share?"

"Well, Neville is very sweet and he's smart too. I never realised it until last year when we were in the Department of Mysteries. He helped save my life and I've been ever so grateful. I think we may become a couple soon if I can overcome his shyness."

"So there's a story behind that. I often wondered what happened there."

"Don't ask, the Daily Prophet got most of it right for a change, but I'd rather not relive that disaster."

* * *

Astoria was worried. Harry was a good teacher and she'd learned quite a lot in the odd room he'd shown her, but he didn't want to talk about what was now becoming an elephant in the room. After learning about Horcruxes, Astoria had picked up on her sister's horror at the mere thought of the word. Naturally, as a Slytherin, she'd tried every trick she could think of to find out more, all to no avail. The very word seemed to not exist in all the places she'd tried to research. The library, for the first time failed her and she daren't ask any of her housemates for fear it would get back to Daphne or worse, the headmaster or her parents. Harry was adamant that the very word was not to be discussed with anyone. It was a taboo subject and could very likely get them all killed if Voldemort found out. That stopped her. The very name sent chills down her spine.

"You've got to stop calling him 'You-Know-Who', Astoria. If you can't say Voldemort, call him by his real name: Tom Riddle. It's just an anagram anyway," and he performed the spell that rearranged the letters to form his real name.

Astoria was finally able to smile at the name and how it was formed. She'd have to learn that neat spell of writing in the air. She conceded that as a made up name it was a bit childish, but it did have an effect on people. "Now tell me more about… V-Voldemort," she gulped as she said the feared name.

So Harry told her the story of how he'd fought him five times now, counting when he was a baby. "Of course each time I was lucky to survive. I may not be that fortunate when I meet him next."

"What do you mean when you meet him next? Can't you just avoid him?" She'd shuddered at all the stories he'd told of their meetings.

Then he told her 'The Prophesy'. She was crying at the end of it. Great gulping sobs escaped her that he was destined to probably die. He'd held her then, comforting her as best he could until she'd soaked his shirt and her sobs had softened to sniffles.

"Oh Harry, why you? Why did it have to be you? It's not fair! I-I…" but she couldn't finish what was in her heart. The truth was, they'd become quite close these last weeks and she didn't want to ever lose him. What started out as a crush, became much more. She steeled herself, ready to fight for his survival against all odds. She daren't tell him this for fear he'd try to push her away. He'd already tried to distance himself from his two best friends and admitted it was hard. His explanation that he wanted to keep them safe didn't wash with her and she upbraided him for that foolish notion. "It's a war, Harry! You can't protect them by distancing yourself from them. He'll come after anyone that defies him or has defied him. They are already marked. You need to keep them close and trust them."

Harry knew in his heart that she was right, but he couldn't help the ache in his heart at the thought that his best friends could be killed just for associating with him. He held her tight and buried his head in her soft hair. Sighing, he conceded she was probably right. Unburdening himself, he began to tell her what he and Dumbledore had been doing.

"What I'm about to tell you, mustn't leave this room." He'd taken her to the Room of Requirement for their lessons after their first meeting and she was properly in awe of the possibilities.

"I promise," she'd replied.

"The Headmaster and I are certain that Voldemort has made seven soul anchors or Horcruxes to attain immortality. I've killed one that was hidden in a diary, Dumbledore killed one that was a ring. We think the others are something to do with the Founders plus Voldemort's snake Nagini. Now we think my scar may be one as well, which means I may have to die…"

"NOOO!" she screamed. A fresh wave of sobs broke out and Harry couldn't stop the tears that fell from his eyes as well.

They comforted each other, gaining strength from the other until both slowly drew back, looked at each other and Harry leaned in and gently kissed her.

Her heart swelled at the touch of his lips and she fiercely kissed him back. Drawing him closer, she whispered, "I won't let you face this alone, Harry. I think I love you and I won't let that b-bastard take you from me." Her lips plunged forward to claim his again and they were lost to reason.

A warmth that he'd never felt before suffused his body and his lips felt like they were on fire. Her kiss, which he'd initiated, started off sweet and tender, but quickly spread to an urgent need in his very soul. The fire it ignited was not to be denied and he lost himself in the flames of that searing kiss.

Finally gasping for breath, they stood in shock. So this was what love felt like, they both thought.

"Harry," she whispered softly. "What just happened?"

Harry took a deep breath and shakily replied. "I think I'd like you to be my girlfriend. I think I love you too."

"Think, Harry?" she teased. "There's no going back now! Yes, boyfriend, I'll be your girlfriend."

"You know it'll be dangerous to be associated with me. Your own housemates will hurt you if they find out."

"I can take care of myself, boyfriend. Daphne will take care of the idiots that I can't handle. Still, you're right, I'll watch my back, but I won't deny my love for you either."

"I think I'll have to keep an eye on you as well. If anyone even gives you the slightest bit of trouble, I'll be there to make sure they regret it."

That earned him another kiss, but she warned: "I don't want you to hover over me. Let me fight my own battles; that way they'll come to respect me. You can teach me a few more lessons on how to defend myself though," she conceded.

Harry chuckled at the spunk this girl had. He had missed her birthday and now this fifteen year old was showing a confidence that he hadn't had at that age. "Alright, but I will protect you when I feel it's necessary."

* * *

He had begun escorting her around when they had free time. She sat at the Gryffindor table at meal times amid grumblings from the Slytherins. Strangely enough, Malfoy paid them no attention. The ferret seemed distracted and though there was a bit of trouble from Ted Nott and a couple of the Slytherin girls, they were pretty much left alone. Pansy Parkinson tried to stir up trouble, but a couple of hexes from Astoria and Daphne, as well as Tracy, soon changed her mind. Millicent Bullstrode tried to defend Pansy and promptly found herself stunned and bound. Daphne took care of Theodore Nott with a well-placed cutting charm that reminded the boy that the family jewels were targets of opportunity if he wasn't careful. A quick trip to the hospital wing dissuaded him from perusing dangerous threats and that it was a good thing that his bits weren't permanently damaged.

The Gryffindors had been mostly curious, although Ron put up a fuss initially. That was settled quickly when Harry had a short confrontation with him in private. A shaky Ron was on his best behavior after that. Harry wasn't about to put up with any flak from his best mate.

* * *

Fourth year end of year exams were fast approaching for Astoria and Harry was intensively preparing her for them. Astoria's grades had improved dramatically and with the help of Hermione and Daphne, she was confident she would do well. Harry's tutelage in DADA had her at the top of her year and Hermione's help in revision had placed her well ahead of her classmates in Transfiguration. Even Potions was well in hand and she hoped to extract at least an E, if not an O. The only course that seemed doomed was History of Magic. Even with Hermione's excellent help, Astoria could not hope for more than an acceptable. The class was deadly boring and often times she slept through the period.

Harry was busy with Dumbledore, more and more, so she didn't see him as often as she'd like. One day he confided in her that he had an important job to do that night and to keep an eye open for trouble. He had a gut feeling that trouble was brewing. He'd overheard Malfoy arguing with Snape about a job the Dark Lord wanted him to do, and he feared it was to happen soon. He'd kissed her and left her with a vial of Liquid Luck that he'd won earlier in the year. There was enough for one night and she was not to use it unless it was a dire necessity. Astoria quirked an eyebrow at that, but the seriousness on her boyfriends face brought her up short.

"This isn't a game, Astoria; Malfoy's up to something bad. I feel it in my bones. If trouble starts, use this charmed Galleon to call the members of the DA for help. I'll be away from the castle tonight with the headmaster on an important mission. Keep safe. And keep this with you just in case." He handed her his invisibility cloak.

Astoria shivered at that and promised him. "You keep safe too love." And with that, he was gone to prepare for Merlin only knew what.

* * *

She'd taken her exams that day and was relaxing in her dorm when she noticed Draco get up and leave the common room. Remembering what Harry said, she waited a few moments and decided to follow him. Putting on Harry's invisibility cloak, she stepped quietly out of the common room, first silencing her footsteps. She spotted Draco a few yards ahead of her and followed. As he made his way down the corridors, he kept glancing around to check if anyone was following. She was now glad that Harry had loaned her his cloak and taught her the silencing spell. Wondering where he was going, she followed him until he stopped outside the Room of Requirement. Pacing back and forth, the door finally appeared and he stepped through. Daringly she followed before he closed the door. Once inside, she goggled at the sight of what must have been a junk room. As far as she could see there were piles and piles of discarded items, some of them very curious indeed. Draco stopped beside a large cabinet, while Astoria wandered a bit. Entranced by the sight of so much junk, she spotted a very pretty diadem placed on a bust of a wizard. Without thinking, she removed it quietly and slipped it into her robes. She wondered where Draco had gone when the sound of the cabinet door opening and a buzz of voices brought her back to the task at hand. Evidently Draco had gone into the cabinet and emerged twenty minutes later with a large group of people. She stifled a gasp as she recognized the masks of Death Eaters. _'Oh, this is bad!'_ she thought to herself. Remembering the Galleon, she hesitated. Where would it bring the DA members? She had to warn them and the teachers. Quickly following the group out of the room, she encountered her first problem. It was dark, pitch black in fact, as she stumbled forward in the inky blackness. Then she saw a light seemingly guiding the group as she caught up to them. Surrounded by darkness, she tagged along behind the Death Eaters just inside the cloaking darkness. As she passed down the staircase, she saw her opportunity and slipped away. Running quickly, she pressed the Galleon and continued to the Gryffindor hallway. Hermione and Ron were just exiting the common room as she arrived. Throwing off the cloak, she gasped, "Death Eaters in the school!"

"What? Where?" Hermione was the first to grasp the problem.

"Malfoy let them in from an odd cabinet in the Room of Requirement. We've got to get help."

"How many?" was Ron's quick response.

"I don't know, maybe a couple of dozen more or less."

"Merlin! Where are they now?" this from Hermione.

"They're under some kind of dark spell, it's like walking in inky blackness. I was following Malfoy. Harry suspected something might happen tonight and he was right."

"Here's the rest of the DA," Ron observed. "We need to alert the teachers. Luna, head to the teacher's staff room and find anyone. They'll spread the word."

Luna raced off and Ron organized the rest of the DA into small groups. "Stay together, this could be bad. Use everything we learned if you see them. No stunners, aim to incapacitate. Cutters, blasting hexes, banishers, anything to keep them down and make sure they stay down."

Luna, meanwhile, had stopped to think. Harry had trained them to cast the Patronus charm and she had learned quickly, even learning how to use it as a messenger. _'Who to send it to?'_ she thought. Her head of house or the headmaster? Quickly casting the charm, she sent it to Flitwick. He'd ensure the rest were alerted. Hurrying back, she ran into Professor Snape. "Professor, the school is being attacked. Death Eaters are in…" That was all she got out as Snape stunned her.

Quickly hiding her in an unused classroom, he hurried to find his godson. "That foolish boy, what's he gotten himself into; that dratted unbreakable vow, I have to keep him alive!"

Meanwhile, the Patronus messenger had run right through the Peruvian Darkness powder that Draco had spread and dispelled it. Cursing to himself he called the group of Death Eaters. "We've been discovered, fan out."

Padma and Parvati were leading a small group of DA members when they spotted the intruders below them, one floor down. Signaling her group, Padma opened fire with a blasting curse, downing one of them. Ducking behind a column, the rest of her group evaluated their chances as spell fire rained around them.

Daphne was walking from the Slytherin common room in search of her sister when she heard the sound of spellfire and cursing. Turning the corner, she almost ran into Professor Snape. Professor, what…?" That's as far as she got when he stunned her.

"Merlin, will these brats ever learn?" he grumbled as stunners fired by Hermione and Neville who had just witnessed him stunning Daphne hit him. Neville quickly conjured ropes and bound him as Hermione revived Daphne, They quickly informed her what was going on.

"Astoria! I haven't seen her this evening," she panicked.

"She's fine, she's with us. She's the one that warned us," Hermione replied, trying to calm the panicked Slytherin girl.

"I've got to see her. You'll need all the help you can get."

"Luna Lovegood sent for the staff, we'll have some help soon," Hermione replied. "Come with me."

"Luna? Isn't that the odd Ravenclaw girl?"

"Luna's very competent and smart, she'll have managed it. Now help me hide Snape."

Securing Snape in a broom closet, the pair made their way to the Great Hall where the serious fighting was taking place.

* * *

Harry and Albus had just escaped the cave full of inferi with what was believed to be Slytherin's Locket. Albus was very weak, having ingested enough potion to kill a lesser man. Harry, not thinking too clearly, decided to Apparate both of them back to Hogsmeade where they could get help. Not having done this before, nevertheless he managed the feat with a great deal of concentration. They retrieved their brooms from Madam Rosmerta at The Three Broomsticks and flew directly to the Hogwarts Astronomy Tower. The Dark Mark was showing as they arrived and Albus, wanting to keep Harry safe, attempted to cast a full body bind on him. Harry, expecting something of the sort, dodged and cast his own spell at the frail headmaster. Grabbing the old man, he levitated him into the castle, relieving him of his wand. "Got to get him to Madam Pomfrey." He gasped. Then he saw them. Death Eaters in the castle.

* * *

Astoria was chasing a Death Eater up the Astronomy Tower stairs when she spotted Harry. Their eyes locked for an instant and both fired curses at the Death Eater. The big blond man fell with a crash down the stairs, his head twisting at an unnatural angle when he hit the bottom. Death was instantaneous.

"Harry! The castle is under attack from inside. Draco let them in."

"Astoria, the headmaster is in trouble. I have to get him to Madam Pomfrey. Did you take the Liquid Luck?"

"Umm, I forgot," she sheepishly admitted.

"Take it NOW! You'll need every bit of luck you can get to survive this. Where are the DA members?"

"Most are in the Great Hall. Hurry back, Harry. We need you."

The way to the hospital wing seemed to be clear and after making sure Madam Pomfrey knew what happened, Harry left and hurried to the Great Hall, blasting two Death Eaters on the way.

* * *

Draco Malfoy was in trouble and he knew it. Hoping the element of surprise would secure them the school and incidentally lead to the death of Albus Dumbledore, he found that in fact they had been discovered and had a real fight on their hands. The staff had been summoned and were fighting back. They were starting to take losses and would soon be overwhelmed. His courage failed him at that point and he decided to escape, only to come face to face with Astoria Greengrass. He sneered at her. "Get out of the way little girl, before you get hurt."

Astoria wasn't stupid; she fired a blasting hex at him, slamming him halfway down the corridor, where Harry was waiting. He blasted the git back down the corridor where Astoria grinned and blasted him back. "Ping Pong, Harry?" By this time, Malfoy was in serious trouble. Unconscious and bleeding badly, Harry conjured ropes and bound him.

"Well, Love, what ever shall we do with this piece of trash?" Harry smirked.

"Dump him in this broom closet and we'll come back for him later," she replied smiling.

Opening the said closet, they came across a stunned and bound Severus Snape. "Well, well. It seems somebody has already removed some of the trash. Let's bind them together until we can sort this out."

Leaving the hapless pair, they made their way to the Great Hall just as the combined force of teachers and DA members were mopping up. Padma and her group had overcome the small group of Death Eaters that had assumed that school children were an easy task to subdue. Much to their dismay, they now found themselves bound and minus two of their number when instead of stunners and expelling curses, they found deadly curses that ended the lives of Nott senior and Yaxley.

* * *

Cleanup would take a few days and only two students were hurt and had to be hospitalized. The Aurors had arrived and taken away the culprits.

Luna was discovered in an unused classroom and was in tears when she was revived. "I trusted him and he stunned me! Mad Eye told us to practice constant vigilance, but I forgot. Professor Snape was not very nice, I trusted him."

"It's okay Luna, Hermione soothed her. He fooled me too until I saw him do the same to Daphne."

* * *

Professor Dumbledore died two days later from a combination of the curse to his hand and the poison that weakened him further.

...


	3. Chapter 3

**A Life Like No Other**

**Chapter 3: Preparations for a visit**

A/N: The usual disclaimer, I don't own Harry Potter or JKR's characters. I make no money from this story. The plot is mine, however.

Ships: Harry Potter / Astoria Greengrass

Genera: Romance/Drama

* * *

Astoria and Harry had attended Dumbledore's funeral as a couple, raising a few eyebrows. Most of the school knew already, but the reporters clamored for a story. Harry was once again in the news. Since Harry, as usual, refused to talk, and his close friends refused as well, rumour and innuendo ruled the tabloid press, very little of which was truth.

Amelia Bones had taken statements from everyone involved and carted those Death Eaters that survived, off to Azkaban.

Little attention was paid to two missing people. In truth, the students were being let go a week early and were only too glad to call it a year and get on with summer hols. Minerva McGonagall was selected as interim headmistress and she had her hands full and only when she called all the teachers together for a staff meeting was Severus Snape's absence noted. Most speculated that he'd left early, but Minerva didn't buy that. Unfortunately, she had no idea where he might be. The other thing that bothered her was a missing student. Roll call after the battle had accounted for everyone except Draco Malfoy. The Slytherins were asked, but Daphne and Astoria were busy packing at the time and missed the question by Professor Slughorn. Nobody thought to ask the Gryffindors.

A week later, Hermione remembered that Snape and Malfoy had not been retrieved from the broom closet and sent a note to Neville to floo call McGonagall to check if they'd checked the broom closet they'd stuffed Snape and Malfoy in.

Neville got the note and panicked. _'Merlin's saggy balls, we forgot about them,'_ he thought. A quick floo call later and the pair were found, still unconscious and bleeding. Draco was in the worst condition and was transported to St. Mungo's under Auror guard. Neville had detailed Snape's and Malfoy's complicity in the battle. Severus Snape was arrested for child endangerment and held in Ministry holding cells pending trial. Draco would be dealt with later. Both were dehydrated and malnourished.

Harry had returned to Privet Drive until his birthday and was glad this would be the last time he would see his dreadful relatives. He'd warned them, of course, that when he finally left, the wards protecting them would start to fail. Only Petunia took it seriously, knowing what magic was capable of doing.

"We'll have to leave, Vernon. We can't be here when the wards fail. You remember all those years ago when the headmaster warned us? We won't be safe in our own house!"

"Nonsense," he replied. "I'll not be chased from my own house by some old freak's nonsense."

"Vernon! You weren't listening! We won't be safe when Harry leaves," she pleaded.

"We're staying," he insisted.

"Well, I'm not taking chances, Dudders and I will leave. You'll come or we'll leave you here to face those evil people. You know what they did to my sister and her husband. I, for one want to see Dudley grow up to the fine young man he is."

"Pet? Y-you'd leave me? You believe the nonsense the boy speaks?"

"Yes, Vernon, we've seen enough not to believe. Marge is ample proof of what the boy's accidental m-magic can do. What about when they can find this place and look for the boy? Do you honestly think they'll leave us alone when he's not here? They're freaks, Vernon, they hate us as much as we hate them. They'd as soon kill us as not. That's if we were lucky. My sister spoke of a torture curse," she shivered at the thought. "I won't let them do that to Dudley, we're leaving and that's the end of it!"

Vernon, faced with the strong stand of his wife, caved and they started preparations.

* * *

Astoria and Daphne, meanwhile were having a conversation with their parents.

"So, Tori, how was your year? You've hardly spoken to us this year," Adriane asked.

Daphne smirked, knowing that her sister was in for a bit of grilling.

Theodore Greengrass picked up on his eldest daughter's smirk and dove to the heart of the matter. "Astoria Greengrass, what have you been up to?"

"Erm, nothing papa. Just school stuff. You know, learning fourth year spells and…"

"And?" Teddy let the word hang in the air and gave his youngest has full attention. Theodore Greengrass could be very intimidating when he put his mind to it. Now was one of those times.

Astoria caved immediately. "I-I… erm… haveaboyfrienditsHarryPotter," she said very fast, hoping to get the inquisition over with quickly.

The Harry Potter part was the only thing that came out clearly. Adriane raised an eyebrow, finally deciphering the entire sentence. "You have a boyfriend and it's Harry Potter? Did I hear you correctly young lady?"

Astoria hung her head, looking at the floor and nodded once.

"Daphne? What do you know of this," Teddy demanded. "You know he's a dangerous person to associate with."

Daphne gulped, knowing she would not escape the questioning as she'd hoped. "Harry Potter isn't dangerous, father. He's a sweet shy boy unless someone provokes him. Yes, he's powerful, probably the most powerful student in Hogwarts, but he… erm… has taken a shine to Tori."

"We love each other!" Astoria blurted and then her face turned scarlet as she realized what she'd just admitted.

"Love?" Adriane shrieked. "You're fifteen! What can you possibly know about love?"

Astoria stood her ground and glared at her mother. "I know how he makes me feel, mother! Like I mean something to him, like he'd do anything to protect me. He taught me all this year in subjects I was weak in, with no thought or expectation of reward. When I get my marks for this year, you'll be proud of me and mostly that's due to my boyfriend. We fought a battle in the castle last week and he provided protection that he didn't give to anyone else! He loves me mum; it's not a schoolgirl crush. Well maybe it started out that way," she blushed again. "But I feel more confident with him, like he's become a part of me now. We're taking it slow, just kissing so don't worry, he won't do anything to hurt me and I won't do anything to push him, erm… you know… to do anything more." _'At least not yet'_, she thought smugly _'But next year…_'.

Theodore was flabbergasted. Fifteen and in love? How did that happen? "Astoria I want you to end this! Now! This is foolish talk, you're much too young."

"NO! I won't! I don't care what you think. I know my own heart and I know his!" She burst into tears and ran to her room.

"Teddy," Adriane softly admonished. "Let it alone for now. She'll think on it for awhile and hopefully come to her senses."

Daphne interjected at that point. "Father, you should know her, she's just like you; strong willed and stubborn. She'll have him, no matter what you say. I could see the relationship right from the start. They complement each other. He's shy and easy going when he's not provoked and she's the opposite. He's taught her well this year; I think you'll be surprised when her grades come. If she doesn't score straight O's I'd be surprised.

Adriane smiled at this. Daphne usually stuck up for her sister and was usually right. "Now, what's this about a battle? The Prophet says that Dumbledore is dead. Was he in this battle?"

"No mother, we don't really know how he died. Well maybe Potter does or Madam Pomfrey or the new Headmistress, but probably no one else at the moment. Draco Malfoy let… Oh no! I just remembered, we left him stunned and bound in a broom closet along with Professor Snape! I have to let Professor McGonagall know!"

"Excuse me? I must have misheard. You attacked a professor and the scion of the Malfoy family? Are you insane? Do you know what the Malfoy's could do to us?" Teddy interjected in horror.

"Father, Snape stunned me and Luna Lovegood just for asking what was happening. Draco let Death Eaters into the castle. Tori and Harry stunned Draco, Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom stunned Snape. We fought two dozen Death Eaters."

"What else? Was anyone killed?" he asked, hoping for the best but fearing the worst.

"Err yeah, At least six Death Eaters were killed. Astoria and Harry killed at least one, maybe more. Padma Patil killed two that I know of and the teachers killed at least three. The head of the DMLE, Madam Bones, questioned everyone."

"So, Professor Snape. What is his role in this?"

"I'm not sure, he is Draco's godfather, but beyond that, I've never trusted him."

"Malfoy is going to cause trouble, even if he's in Azkaban at the moment. He'll buy his way out and come looking for revenge if Draco's hurt. And if Astoria's involved…" he shuddered at the thought.

"Don't worry about Astoria, Harry will protect her and she's quite capable of protecting herself from the likes of that pathetic boy." Daphne replied.

"But Lucius… he's a nasty piece of work."

"I don't think he'll be able to stand up to Harry. I told you he's the most powerful student at Hogwarts, but he may even be almost as powerful as Dumbledore was."

Theodore gasped at that, "Really? What makes you think that?"

Daphne smirked. "He cast a corporeal Patronus in his third year and drove off a hundred of them later that year. He fought the Dark Lord to a draw in his fourth year and expelled him from his attempted possession last year. So, yeah, he has the power all right."

"I think we'll have to have young Mr Potter over soon to meet the family. What do you think Adriane?"

His wife smiled. "Yes, that sounds about right. I can't say I'm pleased that Astoria fancies herself in love with the boy, but then again, he is powerful and he is a Potter, so he isn't some poor Weasley. The Potters are an old and wealthy family."

"He has money?" Daphne asked. "He certainly doesn't dress like he has money. Except for his robes, which are barely adequate, you'd think he was poorer than the Weasleys."

"Something's wrong there," her father attested. "The Potters are a Noble and Most Ancient House. He should be richer than the Malfoys. You say he dresses poorly? Where does he live anyway?"

"I think he lives with his Muggle relatives. Nobody knows where."

"Well, it sounds like the boy has been mistreated. I'll look into it."

"Does Astoria know where he lives?" Adriane wondered aloud.

"I'll go and find out," Daphne replied.

* * *

At that moment a snowy owl was winging her way to the Greengrass manor and soon was tapping on a young girl's bedroom window. Opening the window to let the beautiful bird in, Hedwig presented her leg with a letter attached.

"Hello beautiful, a letter from Harry?" Astoria asked, gently petting the messenger on the head.

Hedwig leaned into her hand, accepting the attention from her master's girlfriend.

After providing an owl treat and some water, she opened the parchment, pleased that her boyfriend had at last written.

_Dearest Astoria,_

_I'm missing you more every day I'm trapped here at my dratted relatives. Soon I'll be free from them forever. July 31__st__ I turn seventeen and the protections will fail where I live. I'll probably go to my godfather's house since he left it to me. The house is under the Fidelius Charm, so I can't even tell you where it is. Just know that I wish you were with me._

_I don't know if I'll be able to see you before start of the new school year and I'm not even sure if I'll attend. The items we talked about must be found and disposed of before I can truly be free. Just know that I love you and will find a way to be with you._

_Love,_

_Your Harry._

Hedwig nipped at her fingers, hoping she'd write a response, when Daphne knocked on her door and entered.

"Oh, what a beautiful owl. Is that Harry's?" she asked. She could see that her sister had been crying and was trying to wipe the tears from her face.

"Yes," she sniffled. Harry's sent a note. What do you want?"

"I'm sorry our parents blew up at you. Father wants to invite him over to meet him. He's had second thoughts and mother agrees. Do you know where he lives?"

Astoria brightened at this and a watery smile suffused her face. "Really? Papa would like to meet him? I don't know where he lives, but he'll be moving soon to his godfather's place. It's under a-a, umm, Fidelius Charm? Whatever that is. I could send Hedwig, though. She'll know how to find him."

"What did his note say?" she asked, curious what else he might have said.

Astoria immediately became defensive. "It's personal, I'd rather not say."

"Alright then, I won't pry. I was just curious."

"Hedwig seems to be waiting for a reply, so I'll invite him over?" she asked, uncertain if she should.

"Oh, yes, I can't think of any other way to get father to meet him. Nobody seems to know where he lives. You know he's rich, don't you?" she smirked.

"No, I didn't know that. Why does he dress so poorly then? I mean other than his school robes; you'd think he had somebody's cast aways. Why do you think he's rich?"

"Well," she said conspiratorially, father says the Potters are a Noble and Most Ancient House. He's probably Lord Potter, unless I miss my guess. Oh, and father says he's probably richer than the Malfoys."

"I don't care, I love just the boy, not who he is." Astoria declared. "Still, why does he dress like that? Oooh, it must be those relatives of his. I knew they were horrible to him, but that's a bit much. I just thought he was… I don't know, into a grunge look."

"Father thinks he might even be abused at home."

Astoria flinched at that. "Surely not. I mean, who would abuse such a nice boy?"

Writing a quick note, she attached the parchment to Hedwig's leg and sent her back to Harry.

An hour later, Harry opened the letter from his girlfriend and smiled.

_Dearest beloved,_

_I can't tell you how much your letter meant to me when Hedwig arrived. I miss you so much, even though we've been apart for only a week. I loved how we cuddled in the compartment on the train back home. There's so much I miss now that we are apart._

_Papa dragged our relationship out of me and forbade me to see you again. Mum scolded me for declaring our love, saying we were too young. Daphne must have said something though because Papa now wants to meet you. I think they might accept our relationship. I absolutely refused to give up and told them so. Papa will find a way to bring you here, but we don't know where you live. Can you take the Knight Bus? We live in Wedmore in Somerset County. It's a pretty place and the Greengrass Manor has been here for centuries. You could floo here, but I'm guessing you don't have access to the floo network. Please say you'll come._

_All my love,_

_Your Astoria._

Harry smiled widely. She missed him. He was a little leery though. It sounded as if her parents weren't too happy about them being together. _'Still, they had invited me, how bad could that be? Maybe they invited me to kill me. Fathers are supposed to act like that, aren't they? Nah, Astoria wouldn't stand for it. Still, best be cautious… Constant Vigilance!'_ he thought. _'Now for the tough part; getting my relatives to agree. I don't want to wait until I leave here forever. I'll go crazy waiting almost two months to see her.'_

Gathering his courage, he slipped downstairs an approached the one person that might possibly agree. "Aunt Petunia? I've been invited to visit a friend for a short stay. I know I have to stay here until my birthday, but it should be okay to spend a day away…" He'd worded it carefully, so as not to arouse suspicion. If she knew he had a girlfriend, much less that he was going to visit her, they'd deny him that pleasure just to spite him.

Petunia had been watching the daily soaps on the tele and hardly glanced up. "Yes, I suppose so, make sure your chores are done. Goodness knows we'll be rid of you soon anyway. Your uncle is searching for a new place for us, just make sure we're protected until we move."

Harry was doing a happy dance inside, hardly believing he could be so fortunate. After all, living with the Dursleys was usually torture. "Thank you Aunt Petunia, I'll finish up and be on my way tomorrow morning."

"By the way, Harry, who are you seeing? Not those redheads again I hope."

Harry froze. Dare he say? Dare he lie? Aunt Petunia was very good at spotting lies, except when it came to her own fat whale of a son. "Um, a friend I met at school. The family name is Greengrass and they live west of here a bit."

"Greengrass, what an odd name. I think my sister knew a Greengrass. She mentioned him when she came home for hols. Theodore or Teddy or something like that. Lived in Wedmore I think."

_'Oh oh! Have to be careful. She can't suspect… no, it's not possible. But then everything fits.'_ "Uh, yeah, I think she did mention…" _'Shit! Shit! Now you've done it!' _he cursed himself.

"She?" Petunia asked carefully. "You're visiting a girl? Is she your girlfriend?"

'_Well the cat's out of the bag now, best see what I can salvage from this'._

"Uh, yes. Her parents invited me for a visit. We've been seeing each other at school and I've been teaching her. Please let me go," he pleaded.

Petunia gave him the stink eye, examining him for any hint of a lie, but then decided it didn't really matter since they'd be shot of him in two months anyway. "Alright, you can go, but no funny business, you're underage and if you're teaching her, she probably is too. How old is she? What's her name?"

'_Could this get any worse?_ _Probably not,'_ he thought. She's going on sixteen and I'll be seventeen soon so not a big age difference. Her name is Astoria."

"Well, it's against my better judgment, so if you get her pregnant, you'll wind up in jail, and we won't help you. Has Vernon given you 'the talk'?"

Harry blanched at that. How dare his aunt insinuate that he was anything other than honourable. "No, but we had it at school with the school nurse," he replied coldly. "You know you brought me up better than that! I'd never do that until we were married."

"Oh, so you're already thinking of marriage! And don't you take that tone with me."

'_Yes, apparently it could get worse. I've just opened up a whole new can of worms.'_ "No, Aunt Petunia, we're not thinking about getting married, she's just my girlfriend for heavens sake," he flared.

Petunia sniffed in distain and let the matter go. "Well then, finish your chores, I'll take care of Vernon."

Harry sighed in relief. That was harder than expected; now to write Astoria.

_Dearest Astoria,_

_Yes, I can come see you. I'll take the Knight Bus tomorrow. I can't wait to see you. I'll leave Hedwig with you if that's all right. I have to return here for the ward protections, but I guess I can visit for a day or so. I hope your parents won't kill me. It sounded like they might want to. I so want them to accept us as a couple. I couldn't stand not seeing you for two months._

_All my Love,_

_Your Harry._

"Hedwig, would you be up to another delivery today?"

She looked at him as if affronted and held out her leg.

"I guess that's a yes. Thanks girl. You'll stay with Astoria until I get there." He smiled and rubbed her head in affection. She nipped his fingers in acknowledgment and flew out the window, winging her way westward.

...


	4. Chapter 4

**A Life Like No Other**

**Chapter 4: Meeting The Parents**

A/N: The usual disclaimer, I don't own Harry Potter or JKR's characters. I make no money from this story. The plot is mine, however.

Ships: Harry Potter / Astoria Greengrass

Genera: Romance/Drama

* * *

Eight AM and Harry was out the door of Number 4 Privet Drive as if shot from a canon. He'd packed lightly, figuring staying at least overnight; longer if he could manage it. Vernon was already at work and had not raised the issue. Dudley was sound asleep and Petunia was out shopping for expected guests that were coming for dinner that evening.

Looking around, the neighbourhood was empty and silent. Harry snorted; the neighbours were probably doing the same as the Dursleys. Holding his wand out, a violently purple bus appeared out of nowhere, the conductor already starting his welcome spiel. Harry quickly boarded before his 'minders' noticed and they sped off. "Greengrass Manor in Wedmore," Harry replied to the question of where he was going.

"Wedmore, that's in Somerset init?" Stan Shunpike replied. "Take er away Ern!" And they were gone, jamming Harry into the windscreen. The usual rough ride eventually landed them in a pretty village in Somerset County and a very nice mansion.

Harry would never get used to the ride, although in truth, magical transportation itself left something to be desired. Portkeys were the worst and Apparation wasn't far behind. Floo travel was dirty and destabilising; he never managed to land on his feet.

The Knight Bus left as quickly as it arrived and Harry trudged up to the door of the elegant mansion. It was set in a copse of woods in rolling country with a view of the village below. He was both excited and fearful. Excited to see Astoria, but anxious how her parents would receive him. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door. And immediately staggered back as a raven-haired missile flew into his arms.

"Harry," she breathed into his neck, causing shivers to run down his spine.

"Astoria," he smiled. "It's so good to see you."

She kissed him soundly, only breaking it when they heard an "Ahem!" behind her.

Blushing, the pair became aware of her father glaring at them. Astoria quickly unwrapped herself from her boyfriend.

"Theodore! Behave yourself, invite young Mr Potter in," his wife chided him.

Extending his hand, Theodore shook Harry's hand in a firm grip, squeezing a bit harder than was perhaps necessary. Harry winced a bit, but returned the grip firmly.

"Welcome to Green Timbers, Mr Potter. I'm happy to meet the young man that has taken my youngest daughter's fancy. Come in. I hope you can stay for a while. We have a guest bedroom that our house elf Maddy prepared. We'd all like to get to know you better."

"Thank you sir, it's an honour to be invited into your wonderful home. Your daughter does you proud; she's a very smart and brave girl."

He led the way to the main lounge and bade him sit. Astoria immediately sat beside him and cuddled into his side unashamedly.

Adriane smiled at the cute scene. "Welcome Harry, Astoria and Daphne have told us quite a bit about you. I see the legend hardly fits the boy. You're nothing like I imagined. Even the pictures in the Prophet seem not to do you justice. Astoria, you've chosen well. He's very nice."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. He'd been almost petrified to meet her parents and in truth, Mr. Greengrass still terrified him. He'd stood up to the man and gave as good as he received in the handshake.

Daphne chose that moment to appear and smiled at him, leaning in to whisper. "I hope you appreciate the footwork I did to pave the way for your welcome here." She smirked and bussed him on the cheek. "I see you've settled right in, Harry. Astoria has been pining for you for days."

Astoria gave her sister a death glare and settled even closer to Harry.

"I've missed her too." Looking at Astoria, he gave her a look that told her everything she needed to know: she was loved by the boy she loved in return.

"Now Harry, may I call you Harry?" Theodore asked politely.

"Of course sir," he replied.

"And you must call me Teddy and my wife Adriane. It's settled then. Now Harry, there's a few things I'd like to clear up. No, I fully approve of you seeing my daughter, but you seem not to know of your heritage."

"Well si.. er Teddy, I grew up with my Muggle Aunt and Uncle, and they didn't tell me anything. Although, I found out yesterday that my mother knew you. Her maiden name was Lily Evans. My father was James Potter."

"Lily Evans!" he exclaimed. I knew her well. Well, that is until seventh year when I transferred out to Durmstrang for special classes in wizarding culture and politics. Classes that weren't taught at Hogwarts at the time. She was delightful and I had a small crush on her at the time, as did most male students. So, she married James and had you; what a pleasant surprise. Of course James and I rarely saw eye to eye. He was a bit brash for my tastes. Still, I see his son has inherited his good looks as well as his mother's eyes. Funny how life is so full of surprises."

Harry was taken aback at all this. He had no idea that his mother knew Teddy, despite what Aunt Petunia said. "Thank you, I had no idea that you knew her so well."

Now, about your heritage. Are you aware that you can claim the title of Lord Potter of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter?"

"Umm, n-no, I have no idea what that even means," he replied, trying to wrap his mind around the concept.

"Has Gringotts not notified you? I find that strange."

"Gringotts? They did tell me that I'd inherited from my godfather, but nothing specific. I own a townhouse in London which I let Dumbledore's Order use as its headquarters. Beyond that, no, they haven't even contacted me. The only reason I know I own the townhouse was because the headmaster asked me to call the house elf there and he came. Disgusting toe rag that he is, proved that I own the place and him."

"Interesting. Have you never read the wills of James, Lily and your godfather? By the way, just who was your godfather?"

"Sirius Black, but he died when he tried to save me in the Department of Mysteries. I really miss him. He was a good man."

"Sirius Black? The murderer and traitor? Surely not."

"Sirius was framed for the betrayal of my parents and murdered nobody. Peter Pettigrew was my parents secret keeper and betrayed them to Voldemort." Harry noticed that both parents didn't flinch at the name. "He was the one that killed thirteen Muggles and fled in his rat animagus form," he said heatedly. "He never received a trial and was never cleared by the ministry."

The Greengrass family gasped at this bit of information. He'd never gotten around to telling Astoria about that, but now that he'd cleared the air, he felt a bit better.

"Well, that can certainly be rectified. I hold a seat on the Wizengamot that oversees the DMLE. I'll have a word with Amelia Bones and see what can be done. Meanwhile, young man, I think we should get you to Gringotts and find out what has happened to notifications that you should have received." He smirked, which seemed to be a family trademark, and continued. "I'm sure my daughter would love to take you shopping as well. It looks like you could use a new set of clothes." He frowned. "I think your relatives have used you rather badly. I hope to correct that. Words will be spoken!"

Harry's mind was in a whirl. Just what did Teddy have in mind for the Dursleys?

"Harry, we'd like you to stay here for the rest of the summer," Adriane requested. "We have plenty of room and we'd really enjoy getting to know you better. Of course Astoria would love to see her boyfriend all the time as well," she smirked.

There it was again, that Greengrass smirk, Harry thought. This was a family that had a sense of humour. "I'd love to stay, but the protections on my relatives' house need to be recharged by my presence there."

"What nonsense is this? Has someone set Blood Wards? Those are illegal and are only effective if both parties accept that they call the place home. Do you consider your relatives' place home, Harry?"

"No," Harry said without thinking. "I consider Hogwarts home but the headmaster wouldn't allow me to stay there over the summer."

* * *

Unknown to Harry and his relatives, the already weakened wards vanished. Remus Lupin had just replaced Mundungus Fletcher as Harry's watcher at his home when he felt the wards fail. Rushing to the front door, he burst in to confront a startled Petunia Dursley. "Mrs Dursley, the wards have failed, where's Harry? We have to leave NOW!"

Fearful for her safety, she followed Remus just as a dozen Death Eaters appeared on the front lawn. Grabbing the terrified woman, Remus Apparated away to Mrs. Figgs.

"Where's Harry?" he demanded. "I know he wasn't in the house."

Glancing back to Privet Drive, they could see flames and smoke billowing into the sky. "My house!" she shrieked. "You freaks burned my house!"

"You're lucky to be alive, now WHERE'S Harry?"

"H-he left this morning to visit his girlfriend," she stuttered. "My beautiful house," she moaned. "We were going to move next month… Harry warned us. We should have left right away."

"His girlfriend? What girlfriend? He didn't have one, last I checked. Was it Miss Granger?"

"No, he mentioned Astoria Greengrass."

"Greengrass? How would he know them? Wait, Greengrass; I think Lily knew a Theodore Greengrass and I remember teaching a pair of Greengrass girls. Surely not… but then… both girls were quite pretty."

"He was teaching Astoria, he said," Petunia replied, still not quite coming to grips that she'd lost her home.

Remus smiled at that. He was so like James to hit on a pretty girl. Now that he remembered, the younger one was named Astoria and was quite the prankster.

"I have to notify someone, will you be safe here? I think you know Arabella Figg."

"Y-yes," she said shakily. I'll have to notify Vernon. Dudley should be with his friends. The insurance should reimburse us for the loss."

A dark skull like figure hovered over the house as the fire brigade arrived to put out the fire.

Remus left to notify the Order and try and track down Harry. It wouldn't be safe for him now. He'd have to come to Grimmauld Place.

Far away in Wedmore, Harry felt a twinge in his scar and wondered what had changed.

* * *

Teddy had noticed Harry wince and suspected something. "Harry, it's possible the wards have fallen at your aunt's place. I think we'll have to check. When you said you didn't consider your relatives place home; that would affect Blood Wards if that was what they were. I can only imagine what might have happened. Come, I'll Apparate us there. You'll have to concentrate on the location otherwise I'd never find it."

A few uncomfortable seconds later they arrived at the smoking ruins of Number 4 Privet Drive. Harry gasped. "Dudley was at home when I left and Petunia should have retuned from shopping. Are… are there any survivors?"

A fire inspector was going over the charred remains and Teddy accosted the man. "This young man lived here, was anyone hurt?"

"I'm sorry for your loss," he said to Harry. "No one was at home, apparently. I haven't had a chance to investigate the fire yet, but by tomorrow it should be cool enough to start the investigation. Who lived here besides you?"

My Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon and their son Dudley Dursley," Harry replied. "Uncle Vernon is probably at work. He works for Grunnings Drills. I left this morning and Aunt Petunia was out shopping and my cousin Dudley was sleeping. You're sure no one was trapped inside?"

"Luckily no. We checked right away. There was an odd smoky figure sitting over the house, but it's gone now. Strangest thing though, there doesn't seem to be a point of origin for the fire. It must have been a massive gas explosion, but nobody heard anything."

Harry wondered if any of his possessions had survived.

"Come along Harry, we don't need to be here; they could come back if they suspected you were here," Teddy responded quietly.

"Will you be alright lad?" the inspector asked.

"He'll be fine." Teddy answered, he's staying with me.

"Lad?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I wonder if any of my things survived the fire?"

"Unlikely, it was very intense. Just ashes really," the inspector said sadly.

At that moment, Dudley showed up and seeing Harry, shouted. "What did you do Freak? Set the place ablaze? Thought you'd try to get even with us, did you? I'll show you!" At that, Dudley tried to attack Harry, but was prevented by an angry Theodore Greengrass.

"You'll not touch a hair on this lad's head!"

Dudley sneered and swung a beefy fist at Harry. Teddy, expecting something like that, dropped the whale of a boy with a whispered spell. Harry hadn't even seen Teddy draw his wand, it happened so fast. The wand disappeared even faster.

"Come along Harry, he'll recover in a few minutes."

The inspector was about to question what happened when a second spell hit him. "Confundus," Teddy whispered.

Walking quickly away, Harry guided them towards Mrs. Figg's. "We can use the floo there," Harry told the older man. "Safer than Apparating."

Unfortunately, Petunia was just coming down Wisteria Walk from Mrs. Figg's and spotted Harry walking with an older man. "YOU," she shouted. It's your entire fault! My house is gone and now we have nowhere to live!"

"I'm sorry Aunt Petunia, I tried to warn you. If you had treated me decently all these years, this wouldn't have happened. The loss is your fault, not mine. If you want to blame someone, blame Voldemort. I guess you'll have to live with Aunt Marge now." He smiled at the thought that neat freak Petunia would find Marge's place to her liking. She only put up with the foul person because she was Vernon's sister.

Petunia had a look of horror on her face as they left her. Mrs. Figg graciously allowed them to floo to the Leaky Cauldron where Teddy took him to Gringotts.

* * *

Harry asked for his account manager and Griphook quickly appeared.

"Lord Potter," the goblin replied, surprised to see the young Potter heir show up without an appointment. "It's most irregular to see you here without first making an appointment."

Teddy interrupted at this point. "Account Manager, I beg to intercede on Lord Potters behalf. I am Lord Theodore Greengrass and young Lord Potter is in my care while we sort out some irregularities at this bank."

Griphook bowed, acknowledging the Greengrass scion. "And what might they be, Lord Greengrass?"

"Lord Potter has not had an accounting or will reading of his parents or godfather. I trust this is a mere oversight?"

Griphook blinked (or the Goblin equivalent), and led them to his office bidding them be seated while he investigated. Ten minutes later he returned with a frown on his face. "Lord Potter, we're sorry for the oversight, but we were led to believe that the Potter wills were given to you in your eleventh year as required by law. Albus Dumbledore, your Wizarding Guardian, assured us that he had read them to you. In fact that turns out not to be the case as they are still sealed in the Potter main vault. I've taken the liberty of retrieving them for you. As for the Black will, That has been read and again your Wizarding Guardian acted in loco parentis assured us that you were made aware of the contents of the will. I also have an account statement of your vaults. Be aware that only your Trust Vault may be accessed until you turn seventeen or are emancipated."

Harry growled his displeasure at Dumbledore. He was ready to rip a new hole in the manipulative old bastard if he hadn't already died.

Teddy, aware that Harry's temper was flaring when things began to shake in the office, put a calming hand on his shoulder. "Easy, Harry. We can correct some of those things right now. Griphook, Harry needs to read the Potter wills. May we have a bit of privacy?"

"Certainly, My Lord Greengrass."

After Griphook had left, Harry unsealed his father's will and began to read. Teddy read over his shoulder, pointing out significant legal points. The upshot was that James had left everything to Lily and upon her death Harry was to inherit everything. Lily's will stated much the same. Here's where it got interesting: Harry was never to have contact with the Dursleys. His guardian was to be Sirius Black or Alice Longbottom. In the event they were not able to fulfill their role, he was to go to Theodore Greengrass, or as a last resort, Amelia Bones. Albus Dumbledore was not to be considered in any circumstance.

Harry was to receive his inheritance at the age of majority or upon marriage whichever came first.

The Greengrass smirk came into full play. "Well Lord Potter, it seems as if you have a couple of interesting choices. Since you are sixteen, you are of legal marriageable age. OR, I can become your legal guardian. The choice is yours, but I warn you, Astoria will be most unhappy if you marry someone else."

"Well, that settles that, doesn't it; she's too young to marry so it looks like you'll be my legal guardian."

The smirk got bigger. "Not quite, Harry. You'll turn seventeen soon and by December Astoria will be sixteen and of age. Actually you could marry her right now with my permission."

Harry almost swallowed his tongue at that, choking and breathing hard. "Erm, um Teddy, are you…?"

"I'm teasing Harry. I'll become your guardian and you two can decide if or when you want to marry. You're a fine boy, Harry, I won't object."

Griphook was asked back and asked if everything was in order.

Assuring him that it was being taken care of, he asked to see Sirius' will.

"Well, that's a bit more straightforward," Griphook assured him, presenting the document.

There were a few bequests to various people, notably Remus Lupin and the Tonks family. He'd re-instated Andromeda Tonks, nee Black and her daughter Nymphadora back into the Black family and provided a dowry for each. He'd also left a fair amount to the Weasleys and to Hermione Granger. The bulk of the estate went to Harry along with an interesting provision. Harry was adopted into the Black family and as such became the new Black heir. He was now to be referred to as Lord Black-Potter, since the Potter line took precedence. Sirius had also taken the opportunity to emancipate him.

"Emancipate? Does that mean what I think it means?" Harry gasped. Things were definitely looking up. Then it all went to hell in a hand-basket.

Teddy had been reading over his shoulder and scowled. "You didn't read the last part, Harry," he reminded him. "Right at the bottom," And he pointed to the last clause.

There in black ink was his doom. He had to take a wife to secure the Black name, otherwise the title and assets would go to the next in line which happened to be Draco Malfoy. Since Draco was in jail, the ministry would claim the assets and declare the title vacant.

I-I have to marry? How is this different from what we know will likely happen. I'll just marry Astoria," he reasoned.

"That's not quite all the problem and you won't like the implications. The Potter line would be extinguished by the same logic if Astoria holds the title of Lady Black, and no, she can't hold both titles Potter and Black. You need a second wife Harry.

Harry, being a Gryffindor and brave in the face of bad odds, did what any normal boy would do; he fainted.

"Stout heart, that one," Griphook guffawed.

A quick spell to revive him and Harry sputtered. "I-I don't think I can do this, Teddy. Astoria would kill me! She's not one to share and besides, I have no idea who would be an ideal match besides her. Hermione is in love with Neville, Ginny is with Dean, who's left that I know well?"

Theodore suspected he knew who would jump at the chance, but it would be tricky. A lot of preparation would be necessary before he even suggested it. Plus Astoria wouldn't be happy.

...…


	5. Chapter 5

**A Life Like No Other**

**Chapter 5: Choices?**

A/N: The usual disclaimer, I don't own Harry Potter or JKR's characters. I make no money from this story. The plot is mine, however.

Ships: Harry Potter / Astoria Greengrass

Genera: Romance/Drama

* * *

Harry and Teddy left Gringotts and stopped for a bite to eat at The Leaky Cauldron. Both were a bit tense after learning the contents of the wills; both for slightly different reasons. Harry was desperately thinking of ways to get out of this mess with Sirius' will. The whole idea of two wives was strange, never mind who he might be forced to marry. Teddy was desperately thinking up ways to implement Sirius' will without causing damage to the family. Astoria could be a major problem; she wouldn't want to share Harry. On the other hand, it might solve two problems at once. He wondered if he should talk to Harry before they got home. Deciding to feel his way carefully around the problem, be began the conversation casually. "Harry, the Greengrasses have always been a close knit family. Both my children are very mature for their ages. There were never any sibling rivalries, even when they were younger. Astoria is fairly close to your age and Daphne is slightly older than you. Both missed going to Hogwarts by a year, Astoria because she was born in December; Daphne because she was born in October. Astoria is fifteen and will be sixteen this December 9th. Daphne is seventeen and will be eighteen this October 2nd. She's in your year for the same reason Miss Granger is."

Harry wondered where this was going. Then his brain kicked in. _'Surely not…'_ "Teddy, um… just what are you suggesting?"

'_Damn, the boy catches on fast,'_ he thought.

* * *

Astoria was pacing the floor of her room, waiting for Harry and her father to return. She was anxious to take him shopping and get him out of those dreadful rags, little knowing that important changes were being discussed elsewhere. She stopped pacing and knocked on her sister's door. "Daph? May I come in?"

"Sure Tori," came the response from inside the room.

"Daph, I need your help. Harry's clothes are terrible and I don't know anything about boys clothing. Could you come with us?"

"You think I know much more? It's not as if we don't have lots of examples at Hogwarts. Mind you, with a few exceptions, those boys are slobs. We just don't get out often enough to see people in anything other than robes. The Muggleborns have a real advantage over us." She sighed and reluctantly agreed. Harry, after all was worth it. She'd just wished she'd noticed him sooner. Now Tori had grabbed the most eligible bachelor in school. _'Why didn't I see what was right in front of my nose? We shared several classes, for Merlin's sake!'_ she mused to herself.

"Thanks Daph. I wonder what's taking them so long? Papa said they were just going to check Gringotts for something."

"The Potter wills, if I remember. That could take awhile, We should wait until tomorrow to take him shopping. It's a nice day, why don't you take him out to the pool for a swim? You could show him your new bathing costume," she smiled slyly.

Astoria thought that was a great idea. Gladrags had brought in a new line of bathing costumes that they said they'd imported from the Muggle world. She hadn't even shown her mother yet, but Daphne thought they were a bit scandalous. She even snuck one described as a "thong" that seemed to leave almost nothing left to the imagination. She wasn't sure she was even brave enough to wear it, especially in front of her parents, but for when Harry and she were alone… well, that was something she was looking forward to watching Harry's reaction. Her mother and especially Papa would have a heart attack if they knew she'd bought something like that, so she hid it away. Even Daphne had not seen it. It was an ice blue tiny thing that barely covered 'most' of her assets. Astoria had started to fill out and develop womanly curves in the last year. She went from a small B cup to a nicely filled C and was quickly outgrowing that. If Daphne and her mother were any indication, she'd probably wind up as a D or large C. In any case, she had developed a nicely trimmed figure and any baby fat she'd once had had disappeared. She was especially proud of her legs and bum. She'd exercised to keep herself in trim, and while Daphne had kept up, she didn't think her sister was disposed to show off her assets quite as freely. Astoria was more like her mother and Daphne took after her father. Adriane had attracted Theodore by being a bit more aggressive than most witches at the ministry where they both worked. Teddy was a bit conservative when she first met him, but she was attracted to the aura of power he exuded.

* * *

"Harry, I think we should discuss a few things. I know you think that having a second wife is strange, but it's not unheard of in the wizarding world; uncommon, but not as rare as you might think. Most wizards can't afford a second wife, opting instead for a mistress. A mistress he can dismiss, a second wife he could not. There is no divorce in the wizarding world, Harry. A marriage is for life. Only the incarceration in Azkaban of one of the partners will enable the marriage to be dissolved. Of course death is the other exception.

"I bring this up only to make sure you choose wisely. Astoria is obviously deeply in love with you, but someone else had her eye on you for quite some time as well."

At Harry's quirked eyebrow, Teddy explained.

Daphne has had her eye on you for a couple of years now. She's been keeping it quiet, afraid to stir things up in Slytherin. Now with both Malfoy males incarcerated, she was going to make her move until Astoria beat her to it. I didn't know, but Adriane suspected. It was quite a shock when Astoria told us she was in love with you. It must have hit Daphne hard but she's very adept at hiding her feelings. The 'Ice Princess' façade she shows to the world is her protection from the idiots that make Slytherin a hotbed of, shall we say… lustful indiscretions.

"What I'm trying to say Harry, is that Daphne would be a good candidate for your second wife. She already has feelings for you, although Astoria isn't aware. That may be tricky to pull off, since Astoria has claimed you and Daphne won't interfere. That, of course is if you're even willing to take the chance. There are a few other possibilities I can think of, based on what Daphne has said. Susan Bones is currently unattached as is Padma Patil. Another possibility might be the two Veela Delacour sister, Fleur and Gabrielle."

Harry hung his head. He'd developed an intense headache from all the developments in the past hour. "Please tell me that I don't have to decide right now?"

Teddy smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "No Harry, plenty of time. Tomorrow will be soon enough." The smile had become a smirk, knowing he was pushing Harry's buttons.

"W-what? That soon? B-but I-I can't just decide something like that overnight!"

"I'm teasing Harry. It is true you'll have to choose a second wife after you claim the Black heritage but it can wait. You have to declare it soon though; the rules are pretty clear on that. By your seventeenth birthday you must choose or the choice will be taken away from you. The Ministry will then assign a wife and you most definitely don't want that to happen. You could wind up with the daughter of a Death Eater," he shuddered at the thought.

Alarmed, Harry's eyes widened. "I'd never accept that!" Daphne was beginning to look good right now. In truth, he couldn't find fault with the idea, but it would take a bit of time to get used to.

"Relax Harry, we'll help you. Whatever you decide will be fine with me. Just be aware that Astoria will be hurt if you decide not to marry her, and if she's hurt, I will be most displeased."

There was a bit of steel in his words and Harry decided that he'd best get on with a formal proposal to Astoria. Not that he had any intention of not asking for her hand in marriage. He just thought he'd have a bit more time. "I love Astoria and I have every intention of asking her to marry me. I'd like to formally ask for your permission for her hand though."

"Harry, I give my permission freely. When will you ask her?"

"I was thinking of asking her on my birthday next month. I'll have to think about the other one though. Daphne seems to be the best choice, but I don't know her as well as Astoria. The others, I hardly know except Susan Bones. She and Hannah Abbott were in the defense club we ran last year and the year before. Padma was as well, but I hardly know her. The Delacours were nice, but other than the Tri-Wizard Tournament, I hardly think I made much of an impression on them. Well Fleur maybe, now that I think about it, but she's much older than me, and Gabrielle is much too young."

"Oh, I think both girls would love to have you. Gabrielle is a lot older than you think. Veela mature suddenly at an older age than normal witches. Gabrielle may have looked like an 8 year old, but was actually 12 at the time. She will have transformed by now. Although I think you are right to pass them up as it would be difficult to establish a relationship in the short time before your birthday. Susan Bones is very well connected, what with her aunt the head of the DMLE. And, she's a very attractive girl."

Teddy didn't have to mention that her 'assets' were very obvious, even under robes that tended to hide the female figure. Daphne had commented on the girl, noting that the boys got a glazed look in their eyes when she was around.

Harry too, had noticed and was caught ogling her. Of course that was before Astoria and then he'd promptly forgotten about her. "Er, I think we can discount Susan as well, she and Astoria might not get along that well. Both would be jealous of the other I think. You really think Daphne would want to share with Astoria?"

"Oh, absolutely. The trick will be to get Astoria to share with Daphne. Astoria is very strong willed, so a bit of preparation will be necessary. I think I'll have to help you there."

Harry gulped at the thought of what that might entail. Two sisters fighting over him was a bit intimidating. That was something he'd like to avoid, although… the thought did excite him a bit.

"Come, Harry. Time to go home and face the music."

That was probably not the best thing to say to Harry at the moment, as he was already nervous.

"Um, wait a bit, I think I need to do something first. I'll need a ring..."

* * *

Exiting from the floo, Harry was tackled once again by Astoria. Several passionate kisses later, she unwound her legs from around his waist. "I missed you; you were gone so long I thought something bad had happened."

"Er, no, the will reading took a bit longer than we thought. Can I see you alone?" he hesitantly asked.

"Of course, come outside and we'll walk. I haven't shown you the grounds yet."

As they walked hand in hand, Astoria showed him the well-landscaped property, bordering a lovely stand of forest. As she pointed out the forest, a twitter of birds could be heard. "This is why Papa named it Green Timbers. The forest hides us effectively from the Muggles and is warded to prevent intrusion. Even during the height of V-Voldemort's last war, we were safe. Papa is thinking of putting the manor under the Fidelius Charm again. With you here, we want you to be safe."

"Astoria?" he asked hesitantly. "We've known each other almost a year now and been together for over half that time." He got down on one knee and held out a beautiful diamond ring that he'd managed to buy before flooing home. Astoria was shaking as she guessed what was happening. "Will you marry me? I love you more that I can say."

Tears were falling freely from her eyes and she nodded shyly and accepted the ring. Then she did something quite unexpected. With a whoop, she leaped into the air, somersaulted and rushed into his arms, fiercely snogging him. Her lips were everywhere, kissing and nipping, driving them both wild. Her legs wrapped around his waist once more and she drew herself as close as possible to him. "Yes, Harry," she whispered then yelled, "YES, YES, a thousand times YES!" Her grin was infectious and Harry found himself hugging her as tight as he could. However, with her legs wrapped around him, the heat of her body quickly heated his until it became quite noticeable.

"Ooh Harry, is that your wand or are you really happy to see me? Naughty boy."

Harry blushed a deep scarlet and tried to put the happy witch down. "Sorry, I-I.." Then he noticed that she wasn't letting go and was in fact pulling herself closer, wriggling her hips and driving him mad.

At that point, Daphne made an appearance and with a loud "Ahem!" interrupted what would soon have become uncontrollable. "You two are wanted in the manor. Father and Mother want a word with us. And no shagging on the way," she added softly.

Astoria grinned and lowered herself, only noticing then that her knickers were quite wet. 'Oops,' she thought. _'A bit messy down there. I'll have to change before I see them.' _"Harry, I think we should have a quick clean up; we got a bit carried away and well, you know…"

Harry readily agreed and they made their way to their rooms where a quick change of clothes and a cleaning spell put everything back to normal. _'My gods that woman is horny!'_

Astoria was thinking the same. 'Merlin, what he does to me! I couldn't control myself; I was ready to shag him within an inch of his life! We better not let Mum and Papa find out!'

As they entered the manor lounge, Adriane spotted the ring on her daughter's finger. "Oh sweetie, he proposed! We thought he would, although Teddy said he'd wait until his birthday."

Daphne squealed in delight when she saw the ring. And then she sobered a bit. There was the end of her dream of snagging Harry. She wouldn't interfere, of course, but she had a faint hope that it would just be a schoolgirl crush. She knew better, but it still hurt, knowing that she had nobody and no prospects either.

Astoria, Daphne," Teddy spoke. "We're delighted, of course, but there is a problem. When we examined Harry's wills, the one from Sirius Black emancipated him and gave him the title of Lord Black. He was already Lord Potter so he was allowed to marry. However, the title of Lord Black requires him to marry and his wife will be known as Lady Black."

Confused looks were apparent on Astoria and Daphne's faces. "But that means I'll be Lady Black?" Astoria reasoned.

"Not quite, dearest, you'll be Lady Potter, but he's required to take a second wife."

Astoria almost screeched at that. "NO! I won't have it! I won't share my husband with some floosy! I won't stand for it, you hear?" Tears were flooding down her face by that point and she sought the comfort of Harry's arms, holding him in a vice like grip.

Daphne saw a small light of hope and dared to ask in a small voice. "Is it possible to share him with you Tori? I could be Lady Black if you both would allow it," she whispered, hardly daring to hope.

Astoria was too swept up in tears to hear her sister's plea. "Papa, tell me that you won't…"

"Astoria, did you hear your sister?"

"W-what?"

"She asked if you would share Harry with her," he replied softly.

Astoria gulped, trying to control the flood of tears that threatened to escape again. "S-share? Y-you want to share? D-Daphne, you've never said you liked him too," she stuttered.

Daphne slowly approached the couple and carefully enfolded them in a hug. "Yes, Tori. I've loved him since third year, but was afraid to say anything. Then you claimed him and I knew I'd lost. I couldn't interfere," she admitted quietly. "So would you?" she asked both of them, afraid of the answer.

Harry looked at Astoria, seeking an answer, knowing that their relationship hung in a very precarious balance.

Teddy decided to intervene at this point. "Astoria, Daphne, if Harry doesn't take another wife, one will be forced on him by the Ministry when he claims the Black name. If he forfeits the Black title, others in line of secession will claim it or the Ministry will declare the title vacant and seize the assets. You know what will happen then. Voldemort will take this as an opportunity and install one of his Death Eaters as heir, probably one of Malfoy's cronies. It would be a disaster."

Astoria gulped and thought about it. He was her Harry now. Could she share him with Daphne? She sighed a full two minutes later, coming to the decision she knew she had to make. "Yes," she answered faintly, tears still streaking down her face. "Harry?" she asked, knowing what his answer would be.

Harry couldn't keep the bright tears from his eyes. "It's alright Astoria, we both have enough love in us to share. I'm sorry, I already knew when we came back, but I had to ask you first, since you're my first love. Daphne and I will work it out. I know you'll accept her as well, since you're both so close. I was so afraid when I found out. I couldn't lose you!"

Daphne let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. It was going to be difficult, but they might make it work. She'd loved him for two tears now, so that wasn't a problem. Now if she could get him to love her back…

She was pulled closer into the three-way hug and she kissed him softly, pouring her soul into the kiss. His lips were warm and promising and she felt the beginnings of a connection to this wonderful boy, no, young man.

Adriane and Teddy smiled in relief. It just might work.

...


	6. Chapter 6

**A Life Like No Other**

**Chapter 6: Consequences**

A/N: The usual disclaimer, I don't own Harry Potter or JKR's characters. I make no money from this story. The plot is mine, however.

Ships: Harry Potter / Astoria Greengrass

Genera: Romance/Drama

* * *

The new family spent the day in silent contemplation. Harry had retired to his room to meditate and try to come to grips with this most unusual day.

Astoria Anne Greengrass was both ecstatic and sad alternately. She had a ring on her finger and it was truly beautiful. It sparkled as only diamonds could and the ring itself was an elegant gold and platinum meld. Where he'd found this particular ring she'd never know. She had secretly hoped he'd propose and had looked at rings in Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley, but had not seen this one. It was perfect. Then she thought of having to share him with Daphne. She loved her sister dearly but found her happiness dimmed a bit. She expected she'd get used to the idea, but at the moment it hurt. She wouldn't begrudge her sister, after all, she'd apparently loved him longer than she had. Still, it hurt.

Daphne hadn't quite come to grips with her phenomenal luck. She felt sorry for Astoria, but at the same time, hugged herself that she would be Harry's wife; albeit a second wife and not his chosen, but still, the thrill of being with Harry overrode any sense of guilt. She knew she'd have to prove herself and that would be tough. She had almost no history with Harry and she wasn't entirely sure her sister would support her. Oh she was a mess. Uncertainty warred with happiness and left her alternately smiling and crying. It was a long night for one Daphne Laurel Greengrass, eldest daughter of the Greengrass clan.

Adriane and Theodore were tussling with the same problem. Their eldest had been thrown into the deep end and expected to swim.

"Do you think they'll work it out Teddy?" she asked.

"I hope so for all their sakes. This is a bit much to ask of ones so young. I suspect Harry has a bit more backbone than most grown wizards, so he'll be the glue that holds them together. Daphne will work hard at making it work since she's loved him for years now. The real test will be Astoria."

"Yes, she's strong willed like me and doesn't take crap from anybody. Still, she loves her sister dearly. Do you think we should make plans for a wedding? You know he has to marry both when he turns seventeen. Technically he could wait all year and marry on the last day before he turns eighteen; now I suspect he'll want to do it sooner."

Teddy contemplated for a moment. "Let's see what they want to do. You talk to Daphne and Astoria and I'll talk to Harry. Let's wait a few days for things to settle down."

* * *

The next day, Astoria decided to show Harry the pool. "Do you swim Harry? We have a large pool in the back behind the manor that is covered and warmed."

"Just a bit," he replied. I didn't get a chance when I lived with my relatives. Oh! I forgot!" he slapped his head. "My Muggle relatives house was attacked when your dad took us to Gringotts yesterday."

Daphne had joined them for breakfast. "Was anyone…?"

"No," he reassured her. Aunt Petunia was coming back from Mrs. Figg's and Dudley was, well he was probably destroying property or bullying some poor local children. Uncle Vernon was at work. I'd warned them but when the wards fell, Death Eaters set fire to the house. Everything inside was lost, my trunk included. Thank Merlin that Hedwig is safe. Where is she, by the way. She hasn't come to greet me since I got here."

At that, his Snowy Owl dropped down from a perch he hadn't noticed before. "Prek!" she spoke as if to say, 'You've ignored me, you git.'

"Sorry girl, I have been a little preoccupied." He fed her a rasher of bacon that seemed to soothe her a bit, and she nibbled on his ear in affection but polished it off with a rather hard nip.

"Ouch, I said I'm sorry. Here have another piece." And he handed her another strip of bacon.

Daphne and Astoria giggled at that and petted her soft feathers.

Hedwig was a notorious attention seeker and loved any she got. She leaned into Astoria's hand and then nuzzled Daphne.

"Oh, she'll take all you can give her," Harry snickered.

"Getting back on topic Mr. Potter," Astoria resumed. We have an excellent pool and we can teach you if you want."

"Sounds great. Where's your mum?"

"She left to visit some friends. We're by ourselves today, at least until Papa gets back from a visit to Madam Bones. He's filing guardianship papers for you today. Come on, The water's warm. Do you have swimmers?"

"No, I'm afraid they were destroyed in the fire," he replied.

Never mind, I'm sure we can find something, or we can go skinny," Astoria replied slyly, sure that Harry wouldn't take them up on that.

Harry blushed a bit and thought back to all the teasing he'd had here. "Skinny works for me," he replied, bolder than he felt.

Astoria and Daphne nearly choked on their food. Coughing, they managed a weak smile. "So Harry, I think we'll find one of Papa's suits and see if it fits. If not, you can either cast a resizing charm or skinny dip," Astoria replied. _'He's getting a bit bolder; that's good. Maybe I'll wear that new outfit.'_

Fifteen minutes later, Daphne met Harry, who it seemed did indeed fit into her father's swim wear. She was wearing a one-piece white bathing costume that looked enticing on her. Leading Harry outside to the pool, they entered the warm water. It was heavenly, just the right temperature, not too warm and not too cold. Daphne swam the length of the pool in swift strong strokes. She glided like a water nymph and he admired the lithe form and perfectly toned body as she swam. Harry paddled about in the shallow end, trying to remember how he swam in the Tri-Wizard Tournament.

Astoria appeared and a loud gasp from Daphne prompted Harry to turn around to see what had happened. He nearly seized up in shock when he saw her. "Astoria! That, that…" he sputtered, trying and failing to regain his speech abilities.

"Do you like it Harry," she asked coyly. "I bought it just for you."

"Umma, erm, ah that is…" Harry replied eloquently.

Astoria gave a tinkling laugh at her fiancée. "What's the matter Harry? Kneezle got your tongue?"

Daphne couldn't believe her eyes. Her sister had practically nothing on. The little scraps of ice blue fabric hid nothing! "Astoria! Don't let Father or Mother see you in that! You almost caused Harry to keel over; never mind me! What were you thinking?"

"Harry likes it, don't you Harry!" she replied, noticing the glassy eyed grinning boy.

"Yeah, Harry likes very much!" he replied, gaining some semblance of speech. "But Daphne's right, your parents would have heart attacks if they saw that."

"Well, they're not going to see it Harry, Only you and Daphne. My dear sister knows when to keep a secret, don't you Daph," she smiled wickedly.

Daphne wasn't sure how to react, but slowly thought of a suitable revenge. While Harry was distracted, she quickly slipped out of her bathing costume and swam back to him. Daphne was as well developed as her sister but would not be outdone. "Oh Harry, sweetie," she crooned, as she circled him from behind, nipping at his ear and bringing herself as close to him as she could.

Harry felt a warm body encircle him and heard Astoria gasp. Twisting around, he encountered a very naked Daphne pressed up tight against his back. He started to say something but her lips got in the way in a searing kiss.

Poor Astoria was left speechless. When she found her voice, she hissed. "No fair Daph! Remember, we have to share."

Emboldened by her sister's action, Astoria began rubbing her hips against Harry, causing blood flow problems.

Harry was in a quandary. Two beautiful witches were trying to drive him insane. Astoria currently had the upper hand, or hips as it were, but Daphne was distracting him with her lips and hands. His higher brain functions were rapidly losing ground. He'd tried to reason, but reasoning was the first thing to depart. So, he did what any red-blooded male would do. He succumbed to the carnal pleasures of his two betrothed.

An hour later, the trio exited the pool exhausted and happy. They headed for their rooms and a shower, just as Teddy arrived back home.

* * *

Miles away, a screaming Voldemort had finally collapsed. Nobody knew why, but the name Potter was heard just before he fell to the ground.

An hour later, The Dark Lord awoke with a painful headache, vowing retribution on the first person he saw. Unfortunately, that happened to be Wormtail and the killing curse solved one of Harry's problems.

"Bella! Get this worthless carcass out of here and call my inner circle. I have a little 'Project' for them."

Bella hurried to dispose of the worthless piece of crap that had been her master's favourite torture subject. Why Wormtail hung around so close to the Dark Lord, she would never understand. Shrugging her shoulders, she banished the body and set about notifying her master's inner circle. Seven would eventually turn up and she ushered them in to see their master.

"Greetings," he smiled (or as close to a smile as he ever got). "I have a little 'Project' for you. Do not fail me or the consequences will be… dire."

The gathered group shivered at the thought. All were in too deep to even consider leaving their master. Death would be the only possibility and none wanted to die.

"Since you failed to obtain the brat for me at his relatives' place when the wards fell, I want you to set up a trap for when he next appears. Of course I expect the trap to draw him in first and away from the usual crowds. Unfortunately, his present whereabouts are unknown. After his visit to Gringotts recently, he seems to have fallen off the face of the earth. I want him found. Check his usual friends. You may use any method to extract the information; then kill them. The Granger mudblood, the blood traitors Weasley and Longbottom, the werewolf Lupin, anyone that might know where he is."

"My Lord?" Dolohov requested.

"Yes Antonin?" he answered annoyed.

"Most of those are protected by strong wards. The only one that might be of help would be the mudblood Granger."

"Antonin," he warned silkily. "Crucio! Now get to work," he intoned, leaving the curse on Dolohov for a few minutes.

The rest left hurriedly and apparated away. Dolohov took a few minutes to recover and quickly followed. Meeting in one of their hidden hideaways, Bella led the group discussion. "Where does Granger live?"

"She lives with her Muggle parents somewhere outside of London," one of the group answered.

"Avery! Find her and Dolohov, you can have the pleasure of finishing what you started at the Ministry. But make sure she talks first!"

"It'll be my pleasure Bella," Antonin answered, an evil grin on his lips.

* * *

Miles away, the Grangers were preparing to leave on their annual holiday to the Continent. Monica and Wendel were to travel to Paris and then on to Vienna. Hermione would join them in a few days. She wanted to see her boyfriend Neville for some 'personal time' before she joined her parents in Vienna.

Two days later, Avery had located the Granger home and Dolohov Apparated there, intent on exacting a little revenge for the debacle at the Ministry. He'd finish what he started when the chit silenced him. Striding up to the door, he blasted it in, only to find the house empty. Searching the house, he noticed that it appeared abandoned. Cursing his luck, he nevertheless decided to destroy it.

As the house burned, he set the Dark Mark over it and wondered how to find out where the girl went.

The neighbours notified the fire brigade but there was nothing left when the stubborn fire was finally extinguished. Nobody paid attention to the smoky skull and snake that hung over the charred remains.

Thinking to hang around to see if the family would return, he attracted the attention of an observant neighbour who notified the police. A constable was sent and the wizard was accosted.

Drawing his wand, he was not quick enough for the trained constable who quickly brought his baton smartly down on the offending hand. Quickly cuffed, he was led off to the nearest police station. His wand was taken into custody and examined but dismissed as insignificant. Dolohov, his hand still smarting was led to a cell from which he promptly Disapparated when backs were turned. Unfortunately, he left his wand behind, which was tagged as evidence. Nobody could explain how the prisoner escaped, but the wand found it's way to the secure storage area where a squib recognized it for what it was.

A report was made to a friend who happened to be a wizard who reported it to the Ministry and an investigation was launched. It was finally determined that the wand belonged to Antonin Dolohov, an escaped murderer and Death Eater. Following police procedure, he was placed at the scene of a house fire of Muggleborn witch Hermione Granger. She was traced to the Longbottoms and notified. Dolohov was entered in the DMLE records as a person that had been seen and to be on the lookout for.

At the Longbottom Estate, Hermione was in a panic. "My home! Death Eaters burned my home! I'll have to notify Mum and Dad. They can't come back here; they won't be safe."

Neville comforted his girlfriend. "Relax sweetheart, you can stay as long as you like."

"Thanks Nev. I appreciate that. My parents though, I'll have to send them away. Ooh this will be hard. How will I tell them? They don't know about the war, they'd never understand. I can't let them know what we've been through, they'd withdraw me from school!"

"Hermione, think. Who are they really after? It's Harry they really want. He told you the prophecy, didn't he?"

"Yes," she answered. "But who told you?"

"Harry did just after he heard it. It could have applied to me but for the scar Voldemort gave him."

"We have to help him Neville. You know that don't you?"

"Of course. A Longbottom has always had a Potter's back and fought alongside them."

"He's been my best friend for years, we have to warn him. Do you know where he lives now? His relatives' place was burned a few days ago. Professor Lupin came asking if I knew where he was, since he couldn't find the Greengrass residence anymore. They must have hidden it under the Fidelius Charm."

"Okay, he's safe for the moment, who else is at risk that we know?" he asked.

"Well, pretty much all of the DA and Merlin knows who else," she answered. "We should notify them. I can use my charmed Galleon. We'll have to find a place to meet…"

"They can meet here, but I'll have to let Gran know adjust the wards on an individual basis. Can you remember all the names?"

Hermione looked at her boyfriend as if he'd lost his mind.

Noticing the look, he sheepishly spoke. "Forget I said that, of course you'd remember."

* * *

Bellatrix was not a happy witch. Dolohov had bungled what should have been a simple job. "Fool!" she cursed. "You even lost your wand! How could you be so incompetent? The Dark Lord will be most displeased. Now we have to figure a way to break the wards on the Burrow. Getting to the Longbottom boy will be next to impossible; those wards were set by goblins. That old battleaxe Augusta Longbottom made sure the wards were unbreakable after we crucioed his parents into insanity. I'd love to have another go at him, but we'll have to get him away from the Manor. I think it's time to do a little damage to Diagon Alley. Kill anyone that gets in the way. The blood traitors Weasley's shop is our target."

…...


	7. Chapter 7

**A Life Like No Other**

**Chapter 7: Shopping and Death**

A/N: The usual disclaimer, I don't own Harry Potter or JKR's characters. I make no money from this story. The plot is mine, however.

Ships: Harry Potter / Astoria Greengrass

Genera: Romance/Drama

* * *

Teddy had raised an eyebrow in suspicion when the three teens had come down from their rooms. All three looked a little bit guilty when they noticed him, and Harry was definitely blushing. "All right you three, what have you been up to?"

"Nothing Papa," Astoria responded airily.

Knowing he wouldn't get a straight answer out of his youngest, he zeroed in on Daphne. His glare seemed to have the desired effect, as she quickly looked away and mumbled.

"What's that, Princess? Speak up."

"We went swimming is all," she replied, still not looking at her father.

"Harry? Is that all?"

Harry gulped and nodded. "Er yeah, swimming, that's right, swimming, we went swimming, yeah, nice…" he trailed off looking like he'd rather be anywhere else than here at the moment.

Deciding he wouldn't get much more out of them, he let it slide. He was still suspicious, but unless one of them cracked, he wouldn't bully them. Gathering himself, he smiled and waved them to the lounge. "Good news, Harry. The guardianship papers have been filed and you are now listed as my ward, at least until your birthday. I know you've been emancipated, but we don't want that to get out just yet."

He then turned serious. " Your friend Hermione Granger's home was attacked by Antonin Dolohov according to Madam Bones. No one was home fortunately, but the house was destroyed. Miss Granger is apparently staying with Mr. Longbottom."

"How did they know that it was Dolohov?" he inquired.

Teddy smiled. "A neighbour noticed him hanging around after the fire and notified the police. They arrested him and confiscated his wand. Naturally he escaped, but without his wand. His wand was tagged and booked as evidence and was noticed by a squib that reported it. We got a good description from the Muggle authorities."

Harry held his head, feeling that he'd never be able to be free from Voldemort and his insane Death Eaters. "She's okay? What about her parents?"

"Both are apparently vacationing in Europe. Miss Granger was to join them but decided to stay where she is."

"I have to see her. She's my best friend and if she needs help, I'll do anything I can for her."

Astoria gave him the fishy eye and scowled. Then she relented. I'm coming with you."

Daphne seconded that idea and Teddy allowed that it might be okay. He would take precautions, however.

There was something sticking in the back of Astoria's mind, but she couldn't quite grasp it. It bothered her, since it was something her papa had mentioned. Shaking her head, she decided to mull it over until it worked its way out.

"When do we go shopping Father?" Daphne asked.

"Hmm? Oh, a little later today I expect." Teddy's mind was preoccupied with the logistics of moving his brood to Longbottom Manor and had forgotten that Harry needed to replace his wardrobe and obtain a new trunk.

After a quick lunch that Maddy whipped up, Harry called for Hedwig and sent her to Longbottom Manor and Hermione with a message.

_Dear Hermione,_

_I'm so sorry to hear about the attack on your home. Thank Merlin you and your parents are safe. We were thinking of visiting you, would you ask Neville if it would be alright? You're still my best friend and anything I can do to help won't be nearly enough._

_Harry_

* * *

An hour later, Hermione was reading Harry's note and smiled. Harry always was so considerate of his friends. "Neville?" she called. Neville was at the far end of their greenhouse and quickly made his way to his girlfriend's side.

"Nev, Harry sent a note asking if he and the Greengrasses can visit today."

"Sure, I'll check with Gran first." He answered.

Augusta Longbottom was pleased to entertain the Greengrass family. "Of course Neville, Teddy and Adriane have always been welcome here. I haven't seen them in ages. Mr. Potter is of course welcome. I can't tell you how pleased that he's taken the time to be your friend. The Potters were always aligned with the Longbottoms. Why is he staying there though? I know Teddy knew his mother but I often wondered why he had to stay with those dreadful Muggles; we should have adopted him. I know Lily and James had a will…"

Neville, leaving his Gran to muse over something that happened years ago, he returned to tell Hermione that his grandmother had been happy to accept a visit by the Greengrass family and Harry.

"Good, I was hoping to see Harry this summer." Quickly scribbling a note, she attached it to Hedwig's leg and sent her off.

* * *

Later that afternoon, The Greengrass family and Harry floo'd to Longbottom Manor.

Neville greeted them as they arrived and led them into the parlour. "It's good to see you again Harry. Daphne, Astoria, Mr. and Mrs. Greengrass, welcome to Longbottom Manor."

Hermione was waiting for them and welcomed them as well, hugging Harry affectionately. "Harry, it's so good to see you again."

"Hi, Hermione. I'm so sorry to hear about your home. If there's anything I can do to help, you know I'll do it. Have you talked to your parents yet?"

"Yes, I'm afraid for them. They can't return here, there's no place for them to stay and it won't be safe for them in any case. I can't protect them when we're at school. I don't know what to do."

Harry could see the fear in her eyes and thought about what he might be able to do. "I might be able to help. I know you'd be devastated if you lost them and sending them away to another country would only make it worse."

At this point, Teddy interrupted. "Miss Granger, I think I might have a solution to your problem. We can easily house your parents in a cottage that we have that is currently unused. It's fully protected and hidden; in fact, it's not far from here."

Hermione blinked in surprise. "That's very kind of you Mr. Greengrass, I'll have to contact my parents, but I'm sure they'll be grateful to accept."

Harry felt relieved that Hermione's parents were now protected and she could see them whenever she wanted.

They stayed and visited for several hours, Astoria and Daphne seated very close to Harry.

Hermione noticed that Daphne sat as close as Astoria and wondered about that. "Harry, is there something happening between you and Daphne? I notice that she's practically sitting in your lap."

Harry blushed, but Astoria replied. "We're his betrothed. Hermione; both of us."

Hermione and Neville gasped at that. "H-how is that possible," she asked.

Neville knew immediately. "He must have assumed the Black Lordship as well as the Potter. Wizarding law is adamant that in order to claim both titles, he must have two wives." He snickered and said; "Congratulations milord. You'll have your hands full with those two."

Hermione was outraged. "A harem Harry? That's barbaric!"

"No Hermione," Neville replied. "That's the law. It may seem odd from a Muggle standpoint but the law goes back centuries and in fact is traced back to a Muggle law."

Hermione huffed, clearly upset, but then noticed that Harry and the girls were grinning at her. "Well, I guess I'll have to accept it, since you three seem happy enough."

After Harry and the Greengrass family had left, Neville decided to speak to his girlfriend. "Hermione, he'll be alright. The Greengrasses were one of the families named in the Potter's will to take care of Harry if they died. My Gran always wondered why Dumbledore placed him with those Muggles." With that, he guided Hermione outside for a walk around the grounds.

"This is all Dumbledore's fault, isn't it," she stated.

"Well, not entirely, the Minister for Magic tried to make him a ward of the Ministry and fob him off on Lucius Malfoy. Sirius Black was in prison and my mum and dad were in St. Mungos. He was to go to the Greengrasses or Madam Bones, but Dumbledore decided to place him with his relatives, forgetting in his haste to foil Malfoy that Mr. Greengrass and Madam Bones were also on the list. By the time he was placed there, it was too late to change, so he sealed the wills, telling everyone it was for the greater good that he be placed with blood relatives. Then he obliviated everyone else that knew."

"How is it that you know, Neville?" she asked.

"Gran told me a few days ago. As a member of the Wizengamot, she had a copy of the will, unknown to Dumbledore. He'd placed a memory charm on her and the rest of the Wizengamot but that broke when he died."

When Harry and the rest returned to Green Timbers, it was too late to go shopping, so they made it a point to go first thing the following day.

* * *

Weasly's Wizarding Wheezes was quiet and Fred and George had barely been able to keep awake. After the initial rush as school ended, the whole of Diagon Alley seemed to attract less business than previous years. Of course, with Voldemort back and renewed Death Eater attacks, people were sticking closer to their homes. Deciding to close early for lunch, they made their way to the Leaky Cauldron. Half way through lunch, they heard an explosion back on the Alley. Drawing their wands, they exited the pub and made their way through the brick archway that hid Diagon Alley. Smoke could be seen rising from several buildings including their own. Cursing, they carefully made their way down the alley, scanning both sides for trouble. At the far end they could see a group of Death Eaters firing spells at anyone that dared show themselves. Incensed that their hard work was now in flames, the twins vowed revenge.

* * *

_(earlier that morning)_

The Leaky Cauldron was quiet as Harry, Astoria, Daphne and Teddy arrived. Strangely quiet in fact. True, it was still early, but Harry had a creepy feeling that something was not right. Teddy felt it too, but dismissed it as being too early for regular customers.

Tom the bartender greeted them and asked if they wanted anything.

"I believe we'll be back later Tom," Teddy answered. "Let's go Harry, girls. We have quite a bit to do. Madam Malkin's first, I believe."

The girls and Harry were fitted for new robes. Teddy and the girls made sure that he had a set that suited him in style and colour and the Potter and Black crests were affixed.

"You look elegant, Harry," Astoria complimented him.

He did feel more comfortable in the new robes and the smile he gave them showed his appreciation.

Astoria and Daphne spent a long time selecting their new robes; wanting to match Harry's, complete with the Potter crest above the Black crest for Astoria and the Black crest above the Potter crest for Daphne. Dress robes were a deep burgundy colour with silver trim. Regular school robes were plain black with the crests, silver trim and green accents for the girls; gold trim and maroon accents for Harry.

Harry took the opportunity to renew some of his other clothes at Gladrags as the girls took turns embarrassing him by selecting his under things and swim wear. New trainers and dress shoes, socks and dress ties completed Harry's shopping.

The girls seemed to take forever in Gladrags. First Astoria would model several new outfits with Daphne commenting and Harry's eyes glazing a bit at some of the skimpier numbers. Daphne, not to be outdone, tantalized Harry with even more suggestive outfits until Teddy put a stop to it and reminded the girls that the wizarding world was not ready for that.

Pouting, they finally selected several more conservative outfits that still managed to leave Harry breathless. Astoria managed to sneak a new bikini that Harry would appreciate into her purchases. Daphne, spying what her sister did, followed suit with an even skimpier set. Teddy missed this, which was just as well as he'd have a heart attack if he'd seen them.

Teddy grinned at Harry's discomfort; he knew only too well the hazards of shopping with females.

By this time the morning was gone and they shrunk their purchases and prepared to return home. Diagon Alley was still fairly quiet as they exited the store.

"We'll grab a bite at the Leaky Cauldron before we leave," Teddy told them. It was just noon when a loud explosion interrupted their thoughts. Turning around, they saw smoke rising from the end of the Alley and masked Death Eaters firing curses at anyone that happened to be close.

* * *

Bella was enraged. She had counted on the Weasley twins being in their shop and planned to torture them for information on Potter. Seeing the closed shop, she set fire to the shop and started firing spells at anyone close enough. A man and woman out for a trip to Gringotts were the first casualties with three more including a small child falling victim to the Death Eaters rage a moment later. Screams and running feet were heard the length of the alley as the few shoppers scrambled for cover. Four more died as Bella's rage escalated. Dolohov had cornered another small family of three and killed them with his favourite purple cutting curse. Nott senior and his son Theodore chased after a small crowd, sending deadly killing curses, dropping another two. The rest of the Death Eaters were slowly working their way towards the Leaky Cauldron, firing curses at anyone that moved and setting fire to shops.

* * *

Harry watched in horror as the carnage mounted. Then something snapped inside him. "NO!" he shouted, drawing his wand and racing forward. His first curse pierced an unlucky Theodore Nott as Harry raced to engage his father. Nott senior gaped at the boy who had killed his son, but managed to erect a shield in time. Harry's next spell was overpowered and blew through the Protego, sending the father to join his son in death.

Meanwhile, Teddy had sent the girls to safety inside the pub and rushed to join Harry. "What are you doing, Harry? Get back to the pub and keep the girls safe! This is a job for Aurors!"

But Harry didn't hear. Bellatrix had spotted him and with a maniacal grin sent spell after spell at him. Harry had dodged nimbly, returning fire. One spell managed to nick Bella in her wand arm and she dropped her wand, before diving after it. Teddy, seeing the determination on Harry's face, joined the fight.

Fred and George joined the fray, bent on revenge and soon had stunned three of the thugs. Crabbe senior and junior died as Fred sent powerful bludgeoning hexes at them. George downed Goyle senior and Gregory Goyle was stunned by Astoria who had disregarded her papa to join Harry. As Bellatrix reached her wand, Astoria stepped on it, snapping it before kicking Bella in the head. The dazed woman looked up to see emerald eyes glaring at her before her life ended when George sent a piercing spell through her heart. Dolohov succumbed to Teddy's fierce spell array and died, as did two other un-named Death Eaters. Then Harry's world went black as a stray spell hit him in the back.

…...


End file.
